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Sick sex: HIV the alarm is there, but it is not said

The testimony of an HIV-positive patient in Reggio. That of HPV doctors who deal with pathologies caused by unprotected relationships in the area. As cases increase, information and sexual education campaigns disappear.

Our ignorance, fears and prejudices remain and must be overcome

In 2017, during the 56th National Congress of the Association of Hospital Dermatologists, widespread concerns were voiced about risks for healthcare workers. The rise in sexually transmitted infections is leading to doctors being infected also. And the higher risk infections of concern that included HIV and syphilis tests, gonorrhoea, warts, and various fungal diseases have also risen in the healthcare sector.. Furhermore its been noted that since 2000, Italy for exanple has seen a 400% increase in syphilis cases. Across the disease field rises have been seen everywhere.

However, even if on a national basis, some data give food for thought

Since 2015, the number of people diagnosed with the infection has increased. In 2021, over one-third of affected individuals discovered their infection due to symptoms or related pathologies. This trend is accompanied by an increase in the proportion of AIDS patients who learn about their condition after an HIV test in the few months before its development. Calabria stands out as among the last in Italy for infections and cases, but is one of the regions that exports the most in healthcare, accounting for 25% of cases.

Talking about STDs and testing today is more complicated. After two years of the pandemic, screening and health attention were all aimed at COVID-19. Both the ISS and the doctors interviewed confirm this.

As far as HIV is concerned, infections have fallen so much.

For the twenty year period over the 80s and 90s there was an active fight against the AIDS epidemic was first and foremost in peoples minds. However after that period funds shifted towards other issues, such as obesity. So, even though both were at a national and local level, research funding and attention indicates a lack of support given to to sexually transmitted diseases. And there is very little discussion surrounding this STI topic.

There are no prevention campaigns; there is no communication. This has meant that diagnoses are usually late, and undergoing checks is anything but a habit.

The case of the City of the Strait

A Case study which is useful to this discussion is, for example, the Reggio Calabria case. The Infectious Diseases Department of the Grand Metropolitan Hospital says that in the two years between 2018 and 2019, they recorded a surge in AIDS and syphilis infections, especially in young people aged 25 and over. Although these are often homosexual and bisexual patients, the incidence of hetero patients has increased.

And in a recent Microbiology publication on the same case examines the trend of syphilis infections in both the pre-pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic periods. The research confirms a consistent increase in infections. This trend was also observed in the previous two years. Additionally, most cases underwent screening in private facilities, with treatment administered at outpatient hospital levels. Those knowledgeable about the subject are aware of the connections revealed in exams between Syphilis, often referred to as the “HIV highway,” and weakens the immune system, making transmission more likely.

Doctor Alfredo Kunkar gives an insight into the situation

In the face of greater freedom of sexual mores, the emergence of greater promiscuity experienced too lightly represents the primary cause of this situation. Combining this with the absence of a culture of prevention, the picture is clear. Until a few years ago, syphilis appeared to be under control. However, its resurgence is notable. It’s occurring even among sections of the population not typically considered vulnerable, such as drug addicts or prostitutes. Instead, it’s affecting the so-called unsuspected.

Along with this resurgence, there’s a rising incidence of disease.

This situation warrants reflection on the issue, particularly among younger individuals. The lack of discussion and preventive measures is concerning. Coupled with this, comprehensive sexual education is absent in schools. Consequently, there’s a misconception about the nature of dealing with STDs and the appropriate treatments.

CIRCUMCISION – MASSIMO GALLI WARNS ABOUT EASY PREVENTION

It’s an old catchphrase. Massimo Galli, director of the Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases at the University of Milan, suggests that circumcised individuals likely have a lower risk for STDs. This is because, with the operation, a biological microenvironment favourable to infection is missing. «However, there is no general agreement on this. In short, circumcision does not give total security of being protected from risk; the possibility of becoming infected remains. All the more reason, therefore, is that its application for epidemiological purposes is not feasible.

Taken and reformulated from www.panorama.it. Below is the article on Panorama.

It would eliminate a part of the skin, the foreskin, rich in some cells called Langerhans cells. These cells are highly susceptible to infection by the AIDS virus. Without these cells, the risk of contracting the disease was estimated to be 6.7 times lower than in an uncircumcised man. But many doctors are sceptical.

Does Circumcision equals seronegativity?

Well, this is the controversial equation that a growing number of researchers support to draw attention to the results of 34 international studies conducted on AIDS. According to what appears to emerge from this research, circumcision would significantly reduce the risk of contracting it for men. Balanced newspapers such as the Financial Times have reported on the new HPV hypothesis.

In 2002, Dr Helene Gayle, director of the Gates Foundation’s HIV/AIDS and TB program, concluded that “circumcision halves the risk of infection” after reviewing around thirty international studies. For some circumcised men, particularly those at high risk, such as those tested with STDs, this percentage could increase up to 70 per cent.

SKEPTICISM is real

We do think that there is still doubt about these issues. An example in point, is that it has also been highlighted that circumcision does not also mean immunity against other STD infections. So, the Cochrane Collaboration, an international non profit organisation, focuses on public health issues. They have noted that medical studies supporting the preventive benefits of circumcision overlook cultural and religious factors.

Does the Disease exist IN BOTSWANA

And becuase its weak the debate on preventive circumcision is weak and wanting support. And is also leaves the medical scientific community divided. The STD test costs and, above all, the cultural brakes on widespread circumcision among populations at risk are decisive factors. But in at least one African country, Botswana, which has frightening percentages of AIDS positive patients, according to a group of Harvard researchers. The majority of parents are now ready to subject newborns to preventive circumcision.