Be Your Own Savior: Medical Intervention Cannot Stop STDs, Only the Return of Sexual Morality

**Be Your Own Savior-Medical Intervention Cannot Stop Sexually Transmitted Diseases**

Why do so many people still indulge in unprotected sex despite the death threat of AIDS? There are several misconceptions or misunderstandings at play. First, some people believe that condoms can prevent all STIs; second, some believe that penicillin and other highly effective drugs for STIs can provide a quick and easy cure. Therefore, some people become complacent about STIs and downplay the health risks they pose.

Let's first discuss condoms and the prevention of STIs. Relying on promoting condom use to prevent STIs and AIDS will not stop their spread. We can go back to the 16th century, when Columbus's sailors brought syphilis to Europe, causing a major STI epidemic, and some people invented penile sheaths to prevent syphilis. During World War I, the US Army and Navy even distributed condoms to their officers and encouraged their use, but the number of STI cases in military camps did not decrease. Normally, the annual failure rate of condoms for contraception is around 10%. Using condoms to prevent STIs and AIDS would have an even higher failure rate. If used for contraception, a small amount of leaked semen may not cause pregnancy, but if used to prevent STIs, it can lead to infection with STI pathogens and HIV. This is because minor, invisible abrasions of the skin or mucous membranes are common during intercourse in people with promiscuous sex, and STI pathogens and HIV can easily enter the body through these wounds from leaked semen. Therefore, some people, upon being diagnosed with an STI, incomprehensibly say, "This is impossible; I always wear condoms when I have sex with prostitutes."

These individuals may have already contracted sexually transmitted infections (STIs) through indirect contact before even using a condom, as STIs can be transmitted not only through semen but also through saliva, blood, vaginal discharge, sweat, urine, tears, and nasal mucus. Therefore, using a condom among sexually promiscuous individuals does not guarantee safety, and the risk of STI infection remains. Among high-risk groups, those who blindly believe that condoms can prevent STIs and HIV/AIDS and engage in promiscuous sexual activity will suffer lifelong pain and regret. It should be recognized that promoting condom use can reduce the chances of contracting STIs and HIV/AIDS to some extent, but this is merely a last resort.

The U.S. government is considering adding warning labels to condom packaging, informing people that condoms are ineffective against HPA (human papillomavirus). This highly prevalent sexually transmitted infection, which often goes unnoticed, can lead to genital warts and cervical cancer.

Let's discuss the relationship between medicine and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Medicine does have a certain therapeutic effect on STDs, and with the development of medical technology, some drugs can achieve rapid effects. However, the incidence of STDs has not been effectively controlled; in fact, it is showing an increasing trend in many areas. It seems that relying solely on medical intervention is insufficient to effectively control the spread of STDs. Furthermore, there are still irregularities in the prevention and treatment of STDs in my country. Some medical institutions, driven by economic motives, engage in misdiagnosis, mistreatment, and antibiotic abuse, resulting in many STD patients not receiving proper treatment. Moreover, the pathogens and viruses of STDs are constantly evolving; they not only develop drug resistance but also mutate and evolve, leading to prolonged disease duration, increased recurrence rates, and making them increasingly difficult to conquer. AIDS, discovered in the 1980s, is a prime example of a viral disease. Fifteen years have passed since its discovery and the establishment of World AIDS Day, and the world still has not developed a cure. Therefore, we cannot be complacent or blindly believe in the effectiveness of drugs in preventing and treating STDs. In addition, some STDs cannot be completely cured even with medication. Syphilis is often very stubborn, and if neglected, it can last a lifetime.

According to the Beijing Morning Post, syphilitic encephalopathy, which was once extremely rare, has recently reappeared at Peking University First Hospital and Beijing Tiantan Hospital. More cases have been found in southern my country than in Beijing. Experts point out that this indicates the disease, which had been eradicated for many years, may be making a comeback, as syphilis requires a considerably long incubation period to affect the brain. This proves that medicine is not a panacea. The idea that having a sexually transmitted disease is insignificant because there are medications to manage it is simply self-deception.

**Cao Kaiyong's Health Prescription-Promoting Sexual Morality and Restraining Sexual Behavior**

Faced with the rapid spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and AIDS in my country, as a doctor, I know that medical intervention alone cannot stop the epidemic. The fundamental solution lies in calling for a return to sexual morality and reflecting on the permissive sexual behaviors prevalent in society. Just as governing a country with virtue is essential, controlling the spread of STDs can only be achieved by raising awareness of sexual morality.

In the United States during the 1930s and 40s, promiscuity led to an epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). However, many people were deterred from engaging in promiscuous sex due to fear of syphilis and gonorrhea. Later, the advent of penicillin provided an effective treatment for syphilis and gonorrhea, but this also emboldened those who had previously feared STDs to engage in promiscuous sex, accelerating the spread of these diseases. This demonstrates that while penicillin can save lives, it cannot control the spread of STDs. Due to the decline of sexual morality and the permissiveness of sexual behavior, penicillin ironically contributed to promiscuity and the spread of STDs. Later, with no effective treatment for AIDS, the threat of AIDS in the United States led to a decrease in promiscuity and a decline in teenage pregnancy rates, indicating a return to more ethical sexual practices. However, in my country, many people have abandoned sexual morality, pursuing sexual liberation and stimulation at the expense of prostitution.

Reasonable sexual morality not only powerfully safeguarded human survival and development in ancient times, but will continue to play a significant role in the future. Especially for contemporary humanity, facing the severe threat of AIDS and having suffered greatly from the devastating consequences of sexual promiscuity, it is crucial to calmly and profoundly reflect on the so-called "sexual liberation." It is essential to review human sexual morality, re-examine the historical reasons for its formation, and seriously consider how to correctly approach historically formed sexual morality, discarding its dross and inheriting its rational elements. People must learn from the disaster of Western "sexual liberation" and must never blindly imitate it, repeating the same mistakes. It must be recognized that simple medical intervention cannot effectively control the widespread prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases. People must reflect on the promiscuity of sexual behavior and improve their sexual morality in order to ultimately control the spread of STDs. We often hear the saying, "Homegrown flowers are not as fragrant as wildflowers, and wildflowers are not as long-lasting as homegrown flowers." In reality, it is "Homegrown flowers are not as dangerous as wildflowers, and wildflowers are not as safe as homegrown flowers."