Medicine and Health Sciences

Part One

Women are exposed to many diseases and conditions that interfere with their ability to enjoy a healthy life. Studies indicate that women suffer a higher prevalence rate if sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) than men (Beigi, 2015). The situation is made worse by the asymptomatic characteristics of some of the diseases like Herpes Simplex, which is not easily detected by the patients until advanced stages. Moreover, the contraception choice may contribute to the development of these conditions. Therefore, it is important to educate youthful women about the positive and challenging issues of screening and vaccinating against Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI).

Primarily, it is ideal to describe the characteristics of the targeted group. A young woman, in this case, refers to individuals between 18-26 years, who are transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Sexual activity starts to take place in this age group, where most of them start settling into marriages (Senie, 2014). Since most of them are oblivious to the issues that affect their reproductive systems, it is critical to educate them about the health benefits that they can accrue by screening for STI’s and the immunizations that can be used to prevent the occurrence of the diseases. Consequently, they will be empowered to take care of themselves, and yield maximum benefits from such activities.

One of the advantages of STI screening is the early detections of the infections. Since most STDs do not exhibit signs and symptoms during their early development, young women should undergo screening to determine their health status (Beigi, 2015).  Once determined, they can be put on the appropriate treatment, hence restore them to their health. It is imperative for youthful women to discover whether they have STI’s before getting pregnant, or during pregnancy (Senie, 2014). For instance, Pelvic Inflammatory leads to ectopic pregnancies, and lower fertility. If discovered and treated early, however, the expected adverse effects can be reduced significantly.

Part Two

Secondly, immunization against STIs greatly reduces the risk of contracting the diseases later in life.  Although a person tests negative for STD during the screening process, they continue to face the possibility of infection from their sexual partners. Through the use of vaccines, the dangers are minimized closer to zero. Since women between the ages of 18-24 years are at a higher risk of Human Papillomaviruses, it is advisable for the targeted population to get immunized. However, care should be taken to ensure that the individuals subjected the STI vaccines are of appropriate age. They should also be advised about the importance of using contraception to avoid accidental pregnancies.

However, there are some challenges to effective screening and vaccination against STIs. First of all, most of the youth are not aware of the services; hence they cannot lower the infection risk or access treatment. Secondly, there are few health facilities in the country catering specifically for the needs of young women. Thus, they find it difficult to enjoy the two essential services. Lastly, people with STIs are exposed to stigmatization from the society. They do not get enough support to overcome their conditions. As a result, many young women suffer from STD in silence; by the time they get the much-needed help, it is too late to offer reasonable treatments.