Difference Between STD and HIV

STD vs HIV
STD is an acronym for sexually transmitted diseases. The term usually refers to diseases like Chlamydia, herpes and gonorrhea. These diseases are spread through sexual contact with a patient who has the disease. HIV is a virus that spreads through a number of means, sexual contact being one of them.

Unprotected sex, especially with a person you don’t know very well, can cause the transmission of STDs. It is very important to understand the relation between STDs and HIV, so that you can easily understand the ways in which you can prevent an HIV infection.

HIV is just one of the viruses that can be transmitted through unprotected sex. Diseases like Syphilis, Herpes and Chlamydia are also sexually transmitted. The difference between the two is that these diseases can be transmitted mainly through sex. However, HIV can be transmitted in a number of other ways. HIV may be transmitted through blood transfusions, from a pregnant mother to a child and also through the sharing of unsterilized syringes and needles.

There is a close link between STDs and HIV. People who already have an STD are twice as likely to get HIV through sexual contact compared to other people. Wondering why that is so? This is basically because the HIV virus is transmitted more readily through the sexual organs of a patient who has an STD. Research has proved that the presence of STDs in a person increases the chances of him both acquiring and transmitting the HIV virus. This happens due to the following reasons:

Having an STD seems to increase the chances that the person will acquire HIV also. This happens because of two reasons. Genital ulcers that are caused by STDs create cracks on the surface of the genital area. These areas create vulnerable points from where the HIV virus can have an easy entry. Additionally, the inflammation resulting from STDs also make the cells in the genital area more susceptible to HIV.

If an HIV positive person has an STD, he is more likely to transmit the virus to his partner, compared to persons who have HIV but no STD. This takes place because people who have STDS have more concentrations of the HIV virus in their genital secretions compared to others. Diseases like herpes are especially relevant to HIV. This is because the HIV virus is mostly found in these people also.

Strong measures to prevent STDs, treatment and testing at the right time can be vital in preventing the sexual transmission of the HIV virus. It is very important for you to treat curable STDs at the earliest. This is very essential in preventing HIV also. Detecting and treating a STD at the earliest can also reduce the transmission of HIV. For this reason, it is all the more important that you should try to cure STDs at the earliest.

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