Neisseria gonorrheae (pathogen causing Gonorrhea)
"Hi Annie, I am writing you because I am really worried. I met a guy three months ago. We liked each other and one thing led to another. We had sex several times and it was hard for me to say no when he took the condom off. Now he went out of state and we hardly speak. About two weeks ago I started having burning and itching. I told one of my girlfriends and together we went to one of those free clinics. The result was that I had gonorrhea and chlamydia. The doctor also suggested that I tested for HIV [sic]; he said when women have an STD screening, HIV is also included. Is it really so or is he thinking that I might be positive? Can having one STD lead to another? " (worried M.B)
Hi worried M, first of all let me tell you that I am very sorry you had to go through this disappointing experience. There are several things that need to be said about your letter. As I have not specifically addressed prevention and education, I decided to discuss very common and recurrent topics involving new relationships, prevention, communication and ultimately responsible testing. Also, let me say you are not alone; there are many women who meet men every day and, taken by their charm, they often overlook who the man really is. This is also appliable to men who meet women and, as they hardly know them, they experience the same inconveniences. However, do we need to know all the time who that person is? What if it's a fling? Then, the question at first should not be " Do you have a condom?" as that should be taken for granted (ie. the condom HAS TO be there!!) but rather " Have you ever been tested for STD?" or "Do we want to get tested together?" or even better " If condom is off the table, shouldn't we get tested first?". Nevertheless, especially in the beginning when you really don't want to ruin the magic, these can be very uncomfortable questions. Notwithstanding, that magic can lead to very serious consequences. Ultimately a person has to make a choice as to whether her/his life is more important than getting intimate with that particular individual. Search your soul, and seek answers from therapy specialists in order to verify that you like yourself enough to say no when needed. Moreover, if it's just a "fling" (nothing wrong with that) condoms SHOULD NEVER be off the table.
As far as the medical provider recommending HIV or complete STD testing is perfectly normal and is not a reflection on a single individual. STD screening is offered to anyone regardless of sex, color, religion, income or disability. The time of those "categories at risk" of infection is either long gone or just never existed; everyone is at risk. I personally worked in facilities where people were tested for STD all day long, seven days a week, and not once have I seen someone different than a human being coming through that door.
In regards to Gonorrhea and Chlamydia, and whether they can be a vector for HIV infection, the answer is yes. According to the Journal of AIDS (editor in chief David Ho, MD), repetitive chlamydia or gonorrhea episodes might expose the person to HIV. What does it mean? Let's first take a look at what Gonorrhea and Chlamydia are and where they grow.
Gonorrhea is the common name for Neisseria gonorrheae, a bacterium growing in the mucus membrane of the body such as mouth, throat,anus, vagina (cervix in particular), fallopian tubes, uterus, utrethra (men). If not treated , Gonorrhea can spread to other parts of the body such as the eyes. It is diagnosed performing a Gram stain in laboratory. Gonorrhea can also go in the blood weakening your immune system. The presence of scarring due to the action and multiplication of the bacterium in your reproductive organs favors the entrance if HIV in the system. Therefore, people with no Gonorrhea might still contract HIV but individuals who have Gonorrhea have a much higher chance of getting infected with HIV.
Same logic applies to Chlamydia, which is caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. Both men and women can be diagnosed with Chlamydia and experience burning, itching, and discomfort that will lead to scarring of the tissue if left untreated. Women with recurrent Chlamydia are not only at higher risk of contracting HIV ( because of scars in the tissue) but also infertility. In fact, Chlamydia can insinuate its presence in the fallopian tubes and in the endometrial lining of the uterus making the event of conception almost impossible.
The bottom line is you are responsible for your own health. You cannot control others, what they did before they met you or what they do when they are not with you. You don't know if the person you are dating is HIV positive or negative. What you should know is that YOU COUNT, you are beautiful and worthy of living a healthy life.Try to limit having sex while under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Always wear condoms, always have them with you (men or women), always have sanitary wipes (they come in small packages) to clean yourself up afterwards. Be safe, have fun.
written by: Annie Aguzzi
in response to: MB
photo by: Dr. Norman Jacobs, CDC files, public domain release
Here are some sites of agencies offering HIV/STD Testing in the Los Angeles area:
AIDS Healthcare Foundation www.aidshealth.org
Antelope valley Hope Foundation www.avhope.org
Asian Pacific Healthcare venture www.aphcv.org
Bay area addiction research and treatment www.baartcdp.com
Behavioral Health Services www.bhs-inc.org
Bienestar human services www.bienestar.org
if readers have questions please email me at annieaguzziexaminer@live.com
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