In brief

• Treating sexually transmitted infections does not remove the risk, which is why prevention remains important.
• Experts in Opole point to low awareness among young people and a lack of regular testing.
• 16 cases of congenital syphilis in young children have been confirmed.

Treatment does not remove the risk

Available therapies allow people to live with many sexually transmitted infections, but prevention has not lost its importance. During a meeting in Opole, organized for young people by the Marshal's Office and the Youth Sejmik of the Opole Voivodeship, experts drew attention to the insufficient awareness of risk among young people (Zakażenie może ujawnić się po latach. Eksperci apelują o badania – WP abcZdrowie).

Testing instead of waiting for symptoms

Specialists urge regular testing, even when there are no complaints. Many infections are asymptomatic, so without a test they are hard to detect. According to reports from the debate, the lack of such testing means infections are often diagnosed only after many years, once they have already caused complications.

Congenital syphilis in children

The threat does not concern adults alone. 16 cases of congenital syphilis in young children have been confirmed, meaning infections passed from mother to child during pregnancy or childbirth. Sexually transmitted diseases can therefore also affect the health of the youngest (Potwierdzone 16 przypadków kiły wrodzonej u małych dzieci. Choroby przenoszone drogą płciową stanowią zagrożenie – infoDENT24).

What is worth doing

The simplest way to detect an infection early is to visit a doctor or clinic and undergo the recommended tests. This applies especially to people who change partners, and to women planning a pregnancy, since detecting an infection before childbirth protects the child.