CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
While sex is a part of a healthy lifestyle, it can as well expose us to serious sexually transmitted infections. There are many new cases of sexually transmitted infection occurrences among all ages and works of life. The need for the study of sexually transmitted infections among students has become indispensable in today’s contemporary society. While many individuals, societies and cultures around the world are yet to consent that sexually transmitted infections leads to various complications later in life, mostly because of their religion, socio cultural background and their belief system etc. In 2011, 11,000 cases of sexually transmitted infections were notified in Ireland. While young age is a risk factor, it is important to know that STIs are not only confined to young people. Health care professionals do not often discuss risky sexual behavior and STI prevention with middle age and older adults. According to Ravi and Nair (2011), viral and bacterial STIs are estimated over 250million cases yearly. In fact, 356,000 new cases occur daily. Controlling the spread of STIs is an important consideration with the high incidence of acute infections and complications, its socio – economic impact and its role in the transmission of HIV. STIs have reached epidemic levels and the number of new infections reported annually shows pattern of steady increase. Although population in developing countries is heterogeneous, it is young and the incidence and prevalence of STIs is likely to increase among persons aged 20 – 40years.
The factors that contribute directly and indirectly to high incidence of STIs include urbanization, unemployment, poverty, antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria and large numbers of people in the sexually active age group. Infection rates are similar in both women and men but women bear the major burden of complications. STIs are troublesome because they are difficult to identify, treat and control. They are dynamic than any other diseases prevailing in the community. Its epidemiological profile varies from country to country and region to region depending on the ethnographic, demographic, socio – economic and health factors. World health organization (2008) presented a report on global and regional estimates of the incidence and prevalence of four curable sexually transmitted infections which are chlamydia, trichomonas, vaginalis, which is common in adults between 15 and 49 years of age. These estimates were generated using the same approach as used to generate the 2005 global estimates. The 2008 estimates of the number of new cases for the four infections combined is 11% higher than the estimate for 2005. Worldwide sexually transmitted infections continue to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Although, the figure given is likely to be doubled at present. Sexually transmitted infections tools and interventions have been available for years because serious health problems are prevented if these infections are diagnosed and treated early. Viral infections such as herpes .genital warts and HIV aremuch more difficult to treat and in some cases no cure exists. More than one million people were been infected daily, about 60% of those infection occur in young people of 25years of age and 30% of the age group of 25years of age and 30% of the age group of 20years. Sexually transmitted infections occur frequently in girls more than the boys by ratio of nearly 2: 1. This is due to some environmental factors, natural phenomenon.
According to a source on immunization and infectious diseases: an informed parents’ guide (copyright @2006 American academy of pediatrics), sexually transmitted infections are spread through direct sexual contact. Teenagers and young adults have higher rates of sexually transmitted infections than any other age group and one of the main reasons is that they frequently have unprotected sex. They are also biologically more likely to develop an infection and theymay be likely to use health care services that could give them information on how to protect themselves against sexually transmitted infections. Others factors that give rise to the spread of sexually transmitted infections are population explosive. Marked increase in the number of young people, rural to urban migration and increasing educational opportunities. They also include social disruption like war, terrorism, civil unrest, international travel, broken homes, disharmony etc. It is worthy to note that these predisposing factors to STIs emanate from the environment one may find may find him or himself. Experience and education give rise to knowledge, attitude and practice towards health related issues.