Sex And Responsibility 4: Diseases

Perhaps the most negatively challenging responsibility of sexual intercourse is disease. Sexually transmitted diseases and infections are rampant these days. Strains of sexually transmitted diseases and infections that are drug resistant and incurable are emerging.

In addition, there is the human immune system destroying virus which causes the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). The acquired immune deficiency syndrome is a terminal disease. It is, so far, incurable. Since the emergence of AIDS in the early 1980s, the transmission and resultant deaths have been increasing. Many new terminologies arising from the prevalence of AIDS disease are now common place. We hear such things as people living with HIV, AIDs orphans, mother to child transmission, etc.

STDs and STIs and the dreadful HIV and AIDS are not just diseases of stigma; they are diseases of shame, pain and death. They cause impotence in men and barrenness in women. The pain, sorrow and anguish resulting from contacting any of these sexual intercourse bound diseases are best imagined. Those who have contacted any or several of these diseases can inform you that there is no trauma more challenging.

Among the common and sometimes terminal diseases associated with sexual intercourse include but not limited to:

� Gonorrhea

� Herpes

� Syphilis

� Staphylococcus

� HIV and AIDS

All of these diseases are not just embarrassing to have, they are painful and deadly. They all have different variants and strains. Some of the strains are more deadly than the others.

The stigma associated with having venereal or sexually transmitted diseases make sufferers to hide their condition. They avoid obtaining appropriate medical attention for fear that people would know what they are going through. This has wrecked many marriages as the man or woman tries to hide the condition from their spouses and doctors. People are wont to hide condition from their doctor because a good medical practitioner would insist on having the two partners treated. The medical policy on venereal diseases is to treat a cluster of at least four sex partners. This indicates that the person sick of sexually transmitted diseases might have been having sexual intercourse with at least three other men or women and the doctors would insist on bringing everybody in for treatment. When sufferers are told about this policy, they run and hide and refuse to surface. A prolonged case of ordinary gonorrhea causes impotence and barrenness. There are at present several drug resistant strains of gonorrhea.

Traumas in childless marriages are such that it is much wiser to consider the disease responsibility factor when faced with the choice to get involved in premarital sexual intercourse.

Consider the blessing of a couple who both came pure to their marriage and are able to live without sexually transmitted infections to hide and to suffer the shame that comes with it.

But because they are avoidable, it makes a lot sense that we consider them when we are thinking of or are under pressure for sexual intercourse.