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Shared STORIES AND CASES

“My husband died, but syphilis remains.” A frank interview with a Tyumen venereologist who treats diseases of “lovers”.

How can you get an STI test, is it curable, and why can it happen to anyone?

What do you imagine when you hear about venereology? Surely, terrible and nasty diseases that only happen to dishonest people. But in reality, anyone can become a patient of a venereologist. Even you!

Who comes to venereologists, why do children get STDs, is it possible to get infected in a bathhouse or a bus, what professions do people often stop by for appointments (not sex workers!) and why use condoms, even if you are married? All this is discussed in an interview with Dr. Maria Mikhova.

“Not necessarily young and reckless.”

Who comes to see a venereologist?

— The venereologist’s patients are people of different ages. My youngest patient was two years old. There was a rare household route of transmission of the disease. If we talk about sexually transmitted infection, then a 13-year-old patient. Then we need to talk about Private STD testing clinics walk-in near me. The oldest patient was over 70. As they say, all ages are submissive to love.

What kind of doctor is a venereologist? What does he do?

— How did a two-year-old child get a sexually transmitted disease?

“He was infected by his parents, who have an active form of sexually transmitted disease with discharge from the genitals. The family was dysfunctional, and hygiene standards were not observed in it. Mom had acute gonorrhoea. After the bath, she dried herself with a towel and then the child. The fabric went over her private parts and then over the child. This was enough for infection. In such cases, investigations are always carried out. Not only doctors but also guardianship authorities are connected to it. They proved that there was no assault on the child’s sexual integrity. Children, thank God, rarely become patients of a venereologist. By the way, the child was cured.

What does the average patient look like if we talk about adults?

— Most often, these are young people with high sexual activity. They usually do not have permanent relationships or commitments. They present with acute manifestations of the disease. And in older people, unfortunately, already advanced forms are often detected. They often come, for example, when they cannot have a child for a long time. They look for the cause and discover chronic forms of latent sexually transmitted infections.

— Are there patients who come several times without learning a life lesson?

— Regulars (laughs), there are some. They treat the infection but then step on the same rake. Usually, these are just people with a certain character. Not even necessarily young and reckless. Sexually transmitted diseases are detected in completely different people. These are both prosperous and not, with a low-income level and a very high one. There is a peculiarity that shift workers often become patients. Moreover, they get to the appointment halfway to the house. So let’s say, passing through. A connection occurs at work, time passes, and symptoms appear. They don’t want to bring the disease to their wife and go to the doctor. If something is detected, a venereologist in their cities treats them with the test results.

KL “Infertility, erectile dysfunction”

— What are most often detected?

— The most common one is chlamydia. This infection has a hidden course; patients often have an advanced form. This can last for decades. The disease manifests itself as discharge from the genital tract, discomfort after intimacy, and heaviness in the pelvic organs. More long-term consequences of chlamydia for women are infertility and erectile dysfunction. Chlamydia can only be detected using a PCR test.

Gonorrhea is less common. An interesting point is that it does not have an acute form. It happens that patients begin to take antibacterial therapy for another reason, for example, because of a sore throat. And the causative agents of gonorrhoea are very sensitive to all antibiotics. And it either heals or goes into a chronic form unnoticed by a person.

– What can you say about others?

“Unfortunately, its incidence is increasing. The last peak incidence occurred in the late 90s. Then, it almost reached epidemic proportions. The reason was the sharply increased availability of sex and sex services. Cases were recorded daily! Now, of course, even in the skin and venereal disease clinics, syphilis is not detected every day. But the upward trend is serious.

– What could be the reason?

— I think the reason is the large flow of migrants. Our healthcare system has a clear system for identifying and preventing the spread of this disease. Patients are tracked for years. In neighbouring countries where migrants come to us from, there is no such system. Many people there have a chronic form of syphilis. My oldest patient was from Uzbekistan. She had an advanced, chronic form of syphilis. Her husband died a long time ago, and after his death, she did not have sex for religious reasons. It turns out that the infection occurred during marriage. But when is no longer clear? This could have been decades ago. And so it turned out that the husband died, but syphilis remained.

– Can you die from one?

– Yes, but only if you start the disease. Lent melting of the tissue occurs when the inflammation becomes so severe puru. This threatens sepsis and death. Some diseases, such as syphilis, are treated in a hospital. As well as pregnant women with gonorrhoea.

— What other diseases are often detected?

– Trichomoniasis. Moreover, it is most often detected in older women. For some reason, young patients have very little of it. I can’t say why. By the way, you can also get scabies through sexual contact, although this disease is not considered a sexually transmitted disease. You can also get molluscum contagiosum, pubic warts, ureaplasma, mycoplasma, genital warts, and herpes. It won’t be pleasant.

— How quickly do symptoms appear after infection?

— The incubation period for all diseases is different. If the manifestations of gonorrhoea can be three to four days after infection, then syphilis – after several months. Therefore, people who often change sexual partners may find it difficult to remember where the disease might have come from. It is a myth that the morning after casual sex, there will be immediate discharge from the genital tract.

“Tales of wives and husbands who are unfaithful to each other”

— What does sexual transmission mean?

– This is any type of sex: vaginal, anal, oral. Any contact between the mucous membranes of an infected person and a healthy person leads to infection. It happens that the primary element of the infection is localized in the mouth or throat. These are rashes from the surface of which the pathogen is released. Then, you can get infected through a kiss. If the mother has symptoms of the disease in her mouth, then when she licks the spoon and gives it to the child, he will have a chance of getting sick. You can also become infected through the eyes. For example, if the sperm of an infected partner gets on the other person’s face. There is such a disease as ophthalmic gonorrhoea. A private STD test clinic walk-in on the same day is used most of the time.

— What about the household route of transmission?

— The household route of their transmission is practically excluded. For this to happen, several factors must come together. This is very rare, as in the case of my two-year-old patient. And it is simply impossible to become infected through airborne droplets. These are tales of wives and husbands who are unfaithful to each other. Then, they write about bathhouses, buses, handrails, door handles, and seats. “I got on the bus in a short skirt and got infected by a previous passenger. r: that doesn’t happen. The infectious agent is very unstable in the external environment and dies quickly.

— Do patients often deceive you? Are they trying to invent a more decent story than it is?

— When a person comes with a suspicion of an STD, he has nowhere to go except a clinic neqr me in London. . You have to be honest. Maybe they try to deceive at first, but then they can’t get away with it. Another question often arises: how do you tell your regular partner about this if you have a relationship on the side? Of course, it is necessary to notify your significant other. It will not be possible to treat your husband or wife secretly. At least in Soviet times, there was a similar practice to save families. They slipped me pills and invited me for a “vaccination.” Now, this is not possible.

“What a fool I was. What was I thinking?”

— Do patients often regret having casual sex?

– Who knows? Of course, we remind patients not to lose their heads. Because casual relationships often occur under the influence of alcohol or other psychoactive substances. Often, people have to explain basic things. For example, you need to use a condom to prevent STDs. Many people mistakenly believe that they are needed only to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Some people don’t know that barrier protection should also be used during oral sex. There is no need to skimp on this. Condoms are available. You can buy them at every supermarket checkout, for every taste and budget.

— Are there any means of prevention other than a condom?

— A condom is the most reliable. A Private STD Test Centre near me in London is also a great help. It’s better to use it than to invent it later when something has already happened. Sometimes, people buy antibiotics themselves and complete the course. Sometimes, they get creative. For example, they pour something into their urethra. After such “washings”, sometimes it is necessary to treat the burn. Women pour soap solutions, potassium permanganate, and antiseptics into their vaginas. The consequences can be dire. Has casual sex already happened? Do you have any doubts? Are you worried? Better see a doctor.

— What can help reduce the number detected?

— Awareness, and since school years. Children need sex education – no matter how much they oppose it. This is their health and safety. Many young people get an  STI Test Centre appointment with a venereologist precisely because they do not know how to behave. For example, a girl was embarrassed to ask her first sexual partner to wear a condom. A walk-in Clinic near me is often the best way. I was afraid of losing the relationship because of this. Sick children are often good, from prosperous families. It’s just that no one explained to them that sex is not only a pleasure but also a great responsibility. In families, these topics are hushed up. Teenagers give in to their first feelings without thinking about the consequences.

Young girls and very adult and experienced women find themselves in such situations. They must get an STD test at a clinic near me. She lived alone for many years and suddenly met a “prince”. I fell in love and threw myself into this relationship without thinking about anything. Then, the betrothed disappeared and left a bouquet. Not flowers. And the realization comes: “What a fool I was; I’m not a little girl anymore. What was I thinking?

“I leave everything in the office when I go home.”

— How to become a venereologist?

— Study first in General Medicine, then in residency in dermatovenereology. That’s a total of eight years in medical school.

— What stereotypes about your profession have you encountered?

— Many people are surprised by the combination of the professions of dermatologists and venereologists. In TV series, my work, of course, is shown more comically than it is. For example, the series “Interns” character is Dr. Kupitman. This is an exaggeration to make it more interesting to watch. I have never faced ridicule or neglect. On the contrary, people respect. But for some reason, some people think that after the reception, I will tell everyone everything. Who infected whom, how, and under what circumstances? I especially felt this when I lived in a small town where everyone knew each other. But this is not possible – there is a medical secret. For some reason, no one thinks about this. Serious liability is provided for its violation. There are also professional ethics. That’s why I leave everything in the office when I go home.