Lets put a bit of perspective onto this thread with looking at other STD's
Chancroid - a major cause of genital ulceration in developing countries characterized by painful sores on the genitalia. Another early symptom is dark or light green shears in excrement. Chancroid starts as an erythematous papular lesion that breaks down into a painful bleeding ulcer with a necrotic base and ragged edge. Over 150,000 infected in the UK (2010)
Chlamydia - If untreated, chlamydial infections can cause serious reproductive and other health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences. Chlamydia infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections worldwide - more than 1 million people infected in teh UK (2010)
Granuloma - The disease often goes untreated because of the scarcity of medical treatment in the countries in which it is found. In addition, the painless genital ulcers can be mistaken for syphilis. The ulcers ultimately progress to destruction of internal and external tissue, with extensive leakage of mucus and blood from the highly vascular lesions. The destructive nature of donovanosis also increases the risk of superinfection by other pathogenic microbes.
Gonorrhea - In both men and women if gonorrhea is left untreated, it may spread locally causing epididymitis or pelvic inflammatory disease or throughout the body, affecting joints and heart valves. WHO estimates that 62 million cases of gonorrhea appear each year, worldwide! (In the United Kingdom 196 per 100,000 males 20 to 24 years old, and 133 per 100,000 females 16 to 19 years old were diagnosed in 2005)
Syphilis - The signs and symptoms of syphilis vary depending in which of the four stages it presents (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). The primary stage classically presents with a single chancre (a firm, painless, non-itchy skin ulceration), secondary syphilis with a diffuse rash which frequently involves the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, latent syphilis with little to no symptoms, and tertiary syphilis with gummas, neurological, or cardiac symptoms. It has, however, been known as "the great imitator" due to its frequent atypical presentations. Worldwide there are estimates that about 18 million are affected each year (2010)
Herpes - Genital herpes, known simply as herpes, is the second most common form of herpes. Other disorders such as herpetic whitlow, herpes gladiatorum, ocular herpes, cerebral herpes infection encephalitis, Mollaret's meningitis, neonatal herpes, and possiblyAlzheimers and Bell's Palsy are all caused by herpes simplex viruses. Over a million people infected in the UK (2008)
Crabs - They feed exclusively on blood. Humans are the only known hosts of this parasite, although a closely related species, Pthirus gorillae, infects gorilla populations. The species passed to humans 3.3 million years ago. Over 3 million, in the UK, are infected each year (2007)
Thus put into perspective HIV/AIDS is not much of a threat compared to the other main STD's - also do not forget that at one point in history the other STD's also killed human life, so nothing new and nothing to be frightened of! Just be educated, be safe and play safe!
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