Purpose of This Module

In this module, we will explore some of the treatment options available for STIs/RTIs and examine some important treatment concerns that particularly affect low-resource settings.

Early and effective treatment of STIs is important because:

• Potentially serious complications can be avoided.
• The chances that the infection will be passed on to others is decreased.
• The presence of an STI can increase the potential for becoming infected with HIV or transmitting HIV to others; the increased risk is higher for ulcerative STIs but is also high for non-ulcerative STIs.
• For women in many developing countries, infertility resulting from untreated STIs can result in stigmatization and abandonment.

STI treatment should be accompanied by risk reduction counseling and efforts to treat sexual partners.

Treatment of Curable vs. Incurable Infections

As discussed in an earlier section of this course, many STIs and RTIs are curable, but some are not. STIs/RTIs caused by bacteria, fungi, and protozoa (e.g., gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, trichomonas infection) can be treated with antimicrobial drugs and cured.

While there are some forms of treatment for viral STIs (e.g., herpes, HIV, HPV), these infections are not curable: A person who is infected remains infected and may be able to transmit the infection to others, even if the person does not show symptoms or signs of the infection. In the case of HPV, all clinical signs may be eliminated and the infection may not recur or be transmitted to others. This also occurs, but less often, with herpes.

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