Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs): The Islamic Perspective

Abstract

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5915/20-3-13285

Recently, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) became the topic of discussion not only in medical journals and social circles, but in Newsweek and Time magazines and on television shows night and day. These diseases have medical as well as social ramifications. Syndromes and end results of these diseases include: death due to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), infertility due to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), and increased ectopic pregnancies due to increased incidence of salpingitis. Men who are sexual partners of infected women develop urethritis, epididymitis, as well as prostatitis and decreased fertility. Newborns of affected mothers develop conjunctivitis and pneumonia as well as respiratory syndromes. Children of mothers infected with herpes genitalis may develop the same infection and some of them will die of systemic herpetic infection. Patients are advised by their physician to avoid having more than one sexual partner, especially if they are wearing an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD), since it has been proven beyond doubt that multiple sexual partners is a risk factor for developing infection followed by infertility in women in general, and in those using IUDs for contraception, in particular. The current cost of such infections to the economy of the U.S.A. is unknown. The estimated cost is 3 billion dollars for PIO only, including both direct and indirect costs.

The sexual revolution caused an epidemic of such diseases and all their sequelae with all the frightening complications of these infections, especially death. The pendulum is moving again to conservatism and the flames of the sexual revolution are fading, being replaced by the light of good reason and good health. Islamic moral laws, if adopted, would have prevented STDs and their devastating effects.