STD treatment in Singapore usually consists of antibiotics or antiviral medications. HIV treatment in Singapore requires three medications.
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Many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can be treated or managed with medications. What type of medications are needed depends on the infection. For some STDs, you may need as little as one dose of antibiotics; for others, you’ll be on a complex regimen for years.
Bacterial STDs
In general, those STDs that are caused by bacteria are the easiest to treat. That’s because bacteria, unlike viruses, are generally unable to hide in human cells. In Singapore, STD treatment using antibiotics is generally effective.
Syphilis generally remains an easily treatable disease; it’s caused by a bacterium that’s very fragile. Often, a single dose of injected penicillin cures the disease. In later stages, longer courses of treatment may be needed.
Gonorrhea can be treated with antibiotics as well, although resistance to the antibiotics has been increasing in recent years. Often, a combination of medications is used to ensure that the disease is treated successfully, since untreated gonorrhea can have major complications. Both injectable and oral antibiotics are available; you’ll most likely take pills for a few days.
Chlamydia remains easily treated in most cases. The most common treatment involves a short course of oral antibiotics, although an injection given in the clinic can also be used.
Trichomoniasis is technically caused by a parasite, rather than a bacterium; however, as it’s a single-celled microscopic organism, the treatment outcome is similar. An antibiotic called metronidazole successfully treats the disease. A single oral dose of this medication cures 90% of cases; for the rest, a few days will almost always suffice.
Viral STDs
In general, viruses are harder to treat than bacteria. Viruses insert their genetic code into human cells, so killing off a virus entails killing off its host cells, which may not be desirable. Antivirals therefore work by inhibiting viral replication, stopping viruses from entering cells, activating the immune system to kill them.
Herpes is one of the most common STDs in Singapore. The virus remains in nerve cells for life; killing off the infected nerve cells would lead to significant problems. However, antivirals can help to keep the virus in check when it does reactivate. They can be used at the beginning of an outbreak to shorten it or reduce its severity, or can be used daily to suppress outbreaks.
For other viruses, such as HPV (which causes genital warts) and MCV (which causes molluscum contagiosum), the viral infection cannot be treated, but the benign growths caused by these diseases can be removed if the patient so chooses.
HIV
Medications that control HIV are known as antiretrovirals. There are several different classes of these medications, with each working in different ways. Because the virus mutates (changes its genetic code) quickly, using only one medication often leads to resistance to that drug. Therefore, a combination of three medications is usually used. This approach is called highly active antiretroviral therapy, or HAART.
In Singapore, HIV treatment may begin immediately after diagnosis, or treatment may not start until the disease has progressed to a certain point. However, once antiretroviral treatment is started, it cannot be stopped for any length of time for the rest of the patient’s life. Patients often tire of taking medications long-term and want a break, but studies have shown that pausing the medications leads to resistance in the virus. While people with HIV can live long lives, they will not be able to be free of medication ever again.
References
STD Treatment at Shim Clinic, Singapore