Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections transmitted by having unprotected sex with an infected partner. STIs are some of the most common communicable diseases in Kenya, particularly among young people aged 15-24 years. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an STI that leads to AIDS, which is chronic manageable disease (See Session 3 of this module for more information on HIV and AIDS). In addition to HIV, there are more than 20 other diseases that can be transmitted sexually, including chancroid, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, genital herpes, the human papilloma virus, syphilis, and trichomoniasis, among others.
A sexually transmitted infection occurs when bacteria, viruses, or other disease-causing organisms pass from one person to another through sex or in the context of sex. STIs can have devastating health consequences, including pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, chronic abdominal pain, cervical cancer, and in some cases, death. In addition some STIs can be transmitted to infants during pregnancy or birth.
It is possible to catch an STI even after only one act of sexual intercourse with an infected person. Some STIs can no longer be treated successfully with the medicines that were used in the past, because the germs that cause the disease are now resistant to the medicines.