Biological Susceptibility to STDs
\nAnatomy\/Physiology
\no Abnormal discharge and painless lesions are more likely to go
\nunnoticed by women \u2013 particularly internal lesions.
\no Mechanics of vaginal sex \u2013 more extended contact with the pathogen
\nafter sexual exposure.
\no Chlamydia and gonorrhea infect columnar cells. Since the bacteria
\nhave easier access to these cells when they are on the outside of the
\ncervix, this makes younger women biologically more at risk for STDs.
\nOlder women too can have a cervical ectopy condition, which also
\nputs them at higher risk for STDs.
\no Women are far more likely to be asymptomatic.
\n51
\no Menstrual cycle \u2013 appears to influence risk of upper tract infection in
\nwomen.
\nTransmission
\no Data suggests that transmission of STDs that cause a discharge or
\nresidue in genital secretions (e.g. HIV, Hepatitis B, GC, CT) are
\ngenerally more efficient from male to female than female to male.
\nPregnancy
\no Pregnancy \u2013 immunological, anatomical and microbiological change
\nthat affect risk of STDs. Host defenses are normally depressed during
\npregnancy. This immune suppression often affects the course of
\ngenital tract infections.
\no Gestational changes \u2013 may increase susceptibility to cervicitis but
\ntend to protect the upper tract from infection
\nGender norms\/sexism
\nRelationship dynamics
\no Women are more concerned about their male partner\u2019s reactions if
\nthey introduce condom use
\no One study found that women often switch to \u2018pregnancy prevention\u2019 or
\nother reasons for safer sex that are more acceptable to both their
\npartner and themselves
\no More young women report forced or coerced first sexual encounter
\nStructural sexism
\no Historically, health care systems have added to the gender
\ndifferences in access to STD care.
\no Provider bias: One example has been the failure to identify HIV
\ninfections in women compared with men because of a different
\nthreshold of suspicion by providers.
\no Female (Reality) condoms (and dental dams) are only options for
\nfemale-controlled STD prevention. They are expensive and not
\nreadily available.
\n52
\nCultural norms in female sub-groups
\no Women are more likely to use over the counter douches, vaginal
\nyeast products and other intravaginal preparations as home remedies
\nfor symptoms of STDs; thus increasing the severity of the symptoms
\nof STDs due to delayed or inaccurate diagnosis or treatment.
\no Women who have sex women report lower perceived risk in terms of
\nacquiring STDs.
\no Competing priorities (children\u2019s health, home-based work, single
\nparenthood) in some households and communities may diminish a
\nwoman\u2019s ability to seek healthcare, particularly for asymptomatic or
\npreventive health issues.
\no Gender Role: sexuality related beliefs, attitudes, values, norms,
\nbehaviors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Biological Susceptibility to STDs Anatomy\/Physiology o Abnormal discharge and painless lesions are more likely to go unnoticed by women \u2013 particularly internal lesions. o Mechanics of vaginal sex \u2013 more extended contact with the pathogen after sexual exposure. o Chlamydia and gonorrhea infect columnar cells. Since the bacteria have easier access to these cells when […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-about-std","category-blog"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t