Did you celebrate World Malaria Day yesterday?

No worries if you missed it.  SuzyKnew! is here to share with you the basics on how this nasty disease can affect you and your love life.

First, when it comes to “sex,” both genders can get malaria equally.   Neither sex is shielded from its horrible effects.  Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease – a potentially fatal blood disease – but you can’t get it through any type of sexual contact. No. You can’t get this nasty disease doing “the nasty.”

However, when it comes to our sex lives – and reproductive health – malaria affects the gentlemen differently than it affects the ladies.  In some instances, malaria can cause men to have low sperm count. And, for the ladies, especially pregnant women, malaria is very harmful. It can cause stillbirth or cause a woman to miscarry or deliver pre-term or have a baby with a low birth weight.  Also, anti-malaria drugs containing doxycycline can decrease the effectiveness of oral contraceptives. So, ladies, take care.

The World Health Organization estimates that each year there are 300-500 million cases of malaria, mainly in developing countries, and more than 1 million people die of malaria. The disease is present in over 100 countries in world, or a little more than half the world’s countries. How do you know if you have malaria? Symptoms include fever, flu-like illness including shaking and chills. Vomiting and muscle aches are also symptoms. Get tested right away if you think you have malaria so you can start treatment and reduce the risk of death.

A lot of progress has been made in preventing malaria including spraying and the development of improved anti-malarial drugs.  A lot of progress has also been made in the treatment of malaria and now there is even a vaccine. Nonetheless, take this disease seriously whether you live in a malaria-prone area or travel to one. Keep your sex life sexy and healthy.