STD and ecological niches

3. Most STDs do not kill their host. Although herpes is a lifelong infection, it does not destroy the host. Syphilis may ultimately destroy its host, but only more than 20 years after infection. AIDS is the only STD that consistently kills its host and even then requires 10 to 12 years to do so. AIDS has the added bonus of not causing apparent disease for the first 5 to 10 years, so individuals may be unaware they are infected and subsequently do not change their sexual behavior, further guaranteeing spread of the organism.

Sexually transmitted diseases fit into the ecology of the human host habitat just as the coyote and jackrabbit fit into the sagebrush habitat of the West or the alligator and the wild boar fit into the swamp habitat of the Everglades. Understanding the nature of STDs, their mode of transfer, and their effects on health will help each of us individually avoid becoming infected and infecting others. Sexual health is just that, sexual experience between humans without fear of disease or health consequences.

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