Obstetricians and gynecologists warn that sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a greater risk to women’s health than men’s, potentially leading to infertility if left untreated or inadequately managed.

According to these medical experts, women are more susceptible to STIs due to the larger surface area of the female reproductive tract, making them more prone to infection.

Alarmingly, many women remain unaware they have an STI until tested, as they often don’t exhibit symptoms, unlike men who tend to seek treatment when symptoms appear.

Dr. Joseph Akinde, a renowned gynecologist and former chairman of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, Lagos chapter, emphasizes that STIs can cause more severe damage in women than men, highlighting the need for vigilance and timely intervention.

The gynaecologists elaborated, “In several instances, women, when they have an infection, the infection may be asymptomatic, and yet it is doing the damage.

” But with men, it is always symptomatic. That women do not manifest symptoms does not mean that they do not have it. The disease is in them, but they do not have symptoms.

“For example, if a man comes down with gonorrhea, he is going to have excruciating pain in the next five days.

But a woman can have gonorrhea and may not know while the thing is causing serious damage to her system.

“So, STD has a higher damage on the woman than the man.  Women can know that they have it by going for a test. If the woman has problems getting pregnant, if she is married, those are the things that could make her go for a test.”

The doctor noted that women with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) may exhibit symptoms such as pelvic pain and abnormal vaginal discharge. Additionally, Dr. Akinde emphasized that women are more susceptible to contracting STDs due to their biological characteristics.

“The reason being that she has the sickness in her system but she will not know and will be sexually transmitting the infection to a man”, he stated

The gynecologist emphasized that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) have a more devastating effect on women than men, leading to long-term health issues, persistent pelvic pain, and even infertility, if left untreated or poorly managed.

He pinpointed, “It damages their reproductive system. It causes tubal blockage, the woman cannot get pregnant naturally.  STD has a great  psychological and social effect on the women.”

To avoid STDs, Dr. Akinde recommends that women prioritize monogamy, maintaining a committed relationship with a single partner and avoiding multiple sexual encounters.

He also stresses the importance of safe sex practices. This advice is particularly crucial, as the World Health Organization reports that over one million people worldwide contract sexually transmitted infections daily, with most cases showing no symptoms.

“Each year there are an estimated 374 million new infections with one of four curable STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis.

“STIs have a direct impact on sexual and reproductive health through stigmatisation, infertility, cancers, and pregnancy complications and can increase the risk of HIV”, WHO stated

Dr. Ochuwa Babah, a senior lecturer and maternal health expert at the University of Lagos’ Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, emphasized that gonorrhea can be effectively treated if diagnosed.

She urged women who have received treatment to ensure their sexual partners also receive treatment to prevent reinfection.

Dr. Babah, a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, warned that pregnant women with untreated gonorrhea are at risk of preterm birth and severe complications for their newborns, including conjunctivitis, pneumonia, sepsis, and even infant death.

She stressed the importance of proper treatment to achieve a full cure, noting that vaginal discharge is the most common symptom of gonorrhea in women.

“Gonorrhea infection is one of the sexually transmitted diseases. In the past, there used to be this general belief that sexually transmitted diseases cannot occur during pregnancy.

“But, we now have evidence to show that they do occur in pregnancy.

“Gonorrhea in particular is an infection that can occur in about 0-14.2 per cent of pregnancy. The prevalence varies from place to place depending on the behavioural attitude of the people”, she mentioned.

A 2022 article in the scientific journal Nature, titled “Sexually transmitted infections and female reproductive health,” highlights that women are significantly more impacted by STIs throughout their lives than men.

The authors attribute this disparity to the greater likelihood of STIs being transmitted from men to women and the unique biological characteristics of the female reproductive system, which make women more susceptible to the effects of STIs.

“The larger impact of STIs in women compared with men is in part due to the female anatomy.

“A woman’s urogenital anatomy is more exposed and vulnerable to STIs compared with the male urogenital anatomy, particularly because the vaginal mucosa is thin, delicate and easily penetrated by infectious agents”, the authors stated.