Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Symptoms, Types, and Treatments with Costs in India

1. Genital Warts

• Cause: HPV which are responsible for genital warts and are types 6 and 11.

Symptoms:

• Soft, fleshes colored or white/creamy/tan colored nodules which may resemble cauliflower, in the genital or perianal area or around the mouth.
• Sometimes it may be unbearable, itchy or uncomfortable, but most of the time they are not painful.
• In some instances, they may develop as clusters or even remain flat and thus very hard to identify.

Complications:

• Recognised risk factors for untreated warts are that they can increase in size or in number.
• The cervical or penile high-risk HPV strains may cause cervical or penile cancer.

Treatment Options:

• Topical Medications: Then topical treatment with podophyllotoxin or imiquimod creams should be used.
• Cryotherapy: Applying liquid nitrogen to warts so as to freeze it.
• Electrocautery or Laser Treatment: The taking out of warts through use of heat or light.
• Surgical Excision: Shaving away wide genial warts under local administration.

Cost in India: For each session, which may be 1 or multiple sessions due to the location and size of the warts, the cost is ₹ 5000 – ₹ 15000.

2. Molluscum Contagiosum

• Cause: Skin to skin transmission of Poxvirus, the type of virus that leads to causing disease.

Symptoms:

• Firm, round, pearly, smooth-surfaced nodules with a smooth, ink-well type central pit.
• They can occur on any site of the body though are most frequently found in the genital region.
• Rare skin itching or inflammation, if skin is sometimes infected by other, more opportunistic organisms.

Complications:

• It is further transmitted to other parts of the body by scratching or contact.
• Complications may include secondary bacterial infection invading the untreated lesion, and skin breakdown.

Treatment Options:

• Topical Therapies: Retinoid or salicylic acid creams as far as peeling is concerned.
• Cryotherapy: Freezing of the lesions for removal.
• Curettage: Removing skin lesions by shaving with a sharp instrument.
• Laser Treatment: In the cases requiring more adjuvant treatment, or if the response to the initial treatment is inadequate.

Cost in India: Depending on the treatment type and the number of lesions – ₹3,000– ₹10,000.

3. Herpes

• Cause: Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV- 1 or HSV-2).

Symptoms:

• Red, raw, or swollen sores or pimples near the location of the genitals, rectum or mouth.
• General signs or symptoms of illness including the fever, body aches and swollen glands.
• The typical signs that appear before the actual blisters are formed (prodromal phase): itching, the painful sensation similar to burning.

Complications:

• Recurrent due to stress, an attack of flu or any viral infection or compromised immune system.
• Infection in the severance stage particularly affecting those patients with weak and damaged immune systems.
• If the infection is contracted during delivery, there is high likelihood that the baby will contract neonatal herpes.

Treatment Options:

• Antiviral Medications: Outbreaks; acyclovir, valacyclovir or famciclovir.
• Supportive Care: Lotions, creams or confectionery preparations for symptomatic relief such as pain relief creams, or salt baths.
• Suppressive Therapy: The overall strategy to apply long-term antiviral therapy to minimize HP recurrence.

Cost in India:  ₹1,000–₹10,000 for the medicines and consultations.

4. Syphilis

• Cause: Syphilis – the sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.

Symptoms:

• Primary Stage: None of the patients had pain at the time of infection; they only noticed smooth, round ulcers, called chancres, at the infection site.
• Secondary Stage: Sore throat, high fever, swollen glands and genital warts on mucous membranes.
• Latent Stage: None of the symptoms but the bacteria are still present in the system.
• Tertiary Stage: More serious forms of the disease entail neurological and cardiovascular system injuries.

Complications:

• Syphilis can cause irreversible damage to several major organs, should be treated if not.

Promotes increased risk of HIV transmission.

Treatment Options:

• Antibiotics: Injections with penicillin are considered being the best technique of the treatment.
• Follow-up Testing: He admitted that they had to do routine blood test to confirm that the infection is out of the system.

Cost in India: ₹500–₹5,000 for a course of antibiotics.

5. Gonorrhea

Cause: Pathogen by gonococci Neisseria Gonorrhoeae.

Symptoms:

• In addition to the symptoms such as burning sensation during urination.
• Discharge of yellow or green colour from either the penis or vagina.
• More seriously, it causes one or both testicles to become painful or swollen (in men).
• Vaginal bleeding which is not normal or lower abdominal or pelvic pain.

Complications:

• Some of the complications of the condition when left untreated are; PID in women, and infertility in men.
• Susceptibility to develop disseminated gonococcal infection that may impact joints, or the heart.

Treatment Options:

• Antibiotics: Concurrent use of ceftriaxone and azithromycin.
• Partner Treatment: Both partners need to be treated as any re-introduction of parasites will continuously cause infections.

Cost in India: A cost of ₹1,000–₹5,000 for drugs and revisits.

6. HIV/AIDS

• Cause: HIV is a virus that works on the Human immune system and if not treated leads to AIDS.

Symptoms:

• The first signs that a person is infected are vomiting, fever, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes.
• Later symptoms include weight loss, always passing diarrhoea, and opportune infections.

Complications:

• If left untreated HIV progresses to AIDS and this has devastating effects on the immune systems of humans.
• The infections which are supposed to occur after a certain period of receiving treatment and some forms of cancer.

Treatment Options:

• Antiretroviral Therapy (ART): An antiviral therapy; usage of drugs to suppress the virus.
• Regular Monitoring: Taking their CD4 count and viral load often.
• Supportive Therapies: To monitor and to prevent or control bacterial or viral infections that result from influenza.

Cost in India: ₹5,000- ₹20,000 per month for ART and routine test.