Sexually transmitted diseases have been a defining feature of the entire history of human civilization. We've seen skeletons bearing signs of syphilis, classic literature dedicated to gonorrhea, and a whole lot of royal gossip about yeast infections. Sexually transmitted diseases have been a topic of medical fascination and social conversation for thousands of years.
However, Europeans are less keen to deal with their current sexual health: the rhetoric makes it seem as if all these infections are a thing of the past. It couldn't be further from the truth.
Since the early 2000s, our collective interest in sexually transmitted diseases has declined, although epidemics have risen. The World Health Organization and UNAIDS are beating the drum as the number of people infected with HIV has risen from 26.6 million in 2000 to 39 million in 2022.
Globally, the World Health Organization reports that more than 1 million cases of STIs are acquired every day worldwide, with an estimated 374 million new infections each year involving one of four curable STIs: chlamydia. Gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis.
Although treatment is available for a large number of them, it does not make undiagnosed diseases any less dangerous – or contagious, for that matter.
Knowledge is the first line of defense. Most importantly, knowing one's HIV status, with available treatment options, it is possible to live a long and fulfilling life without infecting any partner – but for this, one must be aware of one's infection, and be able to access treatments. existing. treatment.
In this episode of Standard Time we discuss sexually transmitted diseases, and the solutions to mitigate them: prevention, screening, treatment, and most importantly, sex education. We also dive into the role of community engagement, and the stigma affecting sex workers and LGBTQIA+ communities – both groups are at the forefront of finding solutions, despite being viewed as scapegoats by the majority of society.
Dr. Danae Maragothakis is a physician and co-founder of Yoxly, a company that offers at-home testing for STDs. Danae's social media channels have over a million followers, making sexual health education engaging and accessible. Yoxly's social media channels feature Dr. Danae Maraghoutakis on Instagram and TikTok.
Dr. Bela Tamasi is a dermatologist and Director of the National Center for Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Budapest. He is also the founder of the evidence-based dermatology and sexual health clinic in Budapest. This is it Dr. Bella Tamasi's clinic website and medical advice blog.
Traichi Janushev is a program officer at SWAN – the Sex Workers' Rights Advocacy Network. SWAN supports the rights of sex workers in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Their work emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and advocacy in addressing sexual health. You may find mRaw information about SWAN here.
In this conversation, The Standard-Time enjoyed the hospitality of the Central European University at its library in Budapest.
Additional source:
Global burden and trends of sexually transmitted diseases from 1990 to 2019: an observational trend study in The scalpel
The global HIV and AIDS epidemic
Full size sex worker implementation tool and SWAN video summary of it: Sex Work Implementation Tool (SWIT)
Creative team
Rika Kinga Papp is editor-in-chief of Eurozine
Murphy Akiel is Art Director at Eurozine
Produced by Zylvia Pinter
Margareta Lechner is a writer and editor
Zsófia Gabriella Papp is executive producer
administration
Hermann Riesner is Managing Director of Eurozine
Judit Sikus, Project Manager, Eurozine
Chilla Nagini Kardos Office Management, Eurozine
Budapest video crew
Nora Ruszkai Audio Engineering
Photography by Gergely Aaron Babai
Photography by Laszlo Halasz
Post production
Nora Roszkay is the lead video editor
Dialogue Editor Katerina Kuzmenko
art
Animation by Victor Maria Lima
Music by Cornelia Frischoff
Sponsored CEU Library in Budapest
This talk show is produced by Display Europe: a content sharing platform that will be debuting soon.
Full disclosure
Broadcaster Rika Kinga Papp has been a member of the Sex Workers' Rights Advocacy Network's steering committee since 2018.
This program is jointly funded by the European Union's Creative Europe Program and the European Cultural Foundation.
Importantly, the views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the authors and speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for it.
