Sexual Health
Sexual Health
Taking drugs and alcohol can alter your perception or lowers your inhibitions, which may mean that you decide to do things you normally would not choose to do, and if you do have sex you may be much less likely to use contraception. But whether you’re under the influence or not if you do not use a condom you are at greater risk of catching a STI (Sexual Transmitted Infection).
When people talk about STI’s what are they really talking about and what does it mean to you? Below we have given you some information about some of the most common STI’s in the UK.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the most widespread STI in the UK, and approximately 1 in 10 young people are carrying or have had the infection. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that can be passed from person to person via vaginal, anal and oral sex and a lot of people may not even know they have the infection as some people do not get any symptoms at all. If you do experience symptoms these may range from
White, cloudy or watery discharge from the penis or vagina
Pain or bleeding during or after sex
Pain whilst weeing
Bleeding between periods or heavier periods
Painful swelling of the testicles
The only way to know if you have got chlamydia or not is to be tested. At the bottom of this page are details of where you can get this done. If you do have a positive test don’t worry: if caught early it’s easily treated with a course of anti-biotic’s and in most case’s it leaves no long term damage. But what happens if you don’t get a test and have the chlamydia infection? If left it can cause lots of problems both now and in the long term, including eventually infertility.
Genital Wart
Genital warts are the second most common STI with 75,615 new case’s being diagnosed in 2010 at GUM (genito-urinary) clinc’s. They are caused by a viral skin infection which causes unsightly growths, bumps or changes in and around the genitals. They are usually painless and don’t cause a serious threat to your health. You don’t need to have sex to catch them as they are passed through skin to skin contact, so any skin contact with someone who is infected can spread the virus, and in some cases it can take up to a year after being infected for the signs to show. There are lots of different treatments for genital warts from creams to cryotherapy (freezing them off).
Genital Herpes
Genital Herpes are caused by the herpes simplex virus the same virus that gives you cold sores. Type 1 are the ones people get on their mouths and Type 2 are the ones people get on their genitals, which causes swollen painful blisters. It can be spread during any form of sexual contact including vaginal, anal and oral. Once infected with the herpes virus people have it for life and can have many break outs of the blisters for years. About 8 in 10 people who have the herpes virus don’t know it as they may have experienced none or few initial symptoms. Trigger factors for an outbreak include stress or feeling run down. There are anti-viral medications available from doctors to help control these outbreaks after being diagnosed.
Gonorrhoea
Gonorrhoea is caused by a bacterial infection which can be found in the fluids in the vagina or penis. It can be passed by any form of sexual contact and by sharing sex toys that haven’t be properly washed or protected with a condom. Again a lot of people who do have the infection don’t know it. 1-10 men and around half of women don’t display any symptoms but these can include an unusual discharge, pain whilst weeing and if you’re a woman bleeding between periods. If left untreated gonorrhoea can cause inflammation and pain in and around the infected area including painful erections for men, pelvic inflammatory disease in woman and possible infertility in both sexes.
HIV and AIDS
HIV and AIDS is for most people one of the most frightening STI’s as there is still no cure, but advances in medicine mean a lot of infected people are living long and health lives. HIV is a virus know as Human Immunodeficiency Virus which attacks the central nervous system so you struggle to fight off other desises and infections. AIDS is the final stage of the infection and at this point the body would be unable to fight off life threatening illnesses. The virus lives in different bodily fluids blood, seaman, virginal fluids, breast milk and inside the anus. It can also be found in saliva but can’t be caught through kissing alone. 95% of people who are diagnosed in the UK contracted the virus through some form of sexual contact. If you think you have come into contact with the infection you should seek medical advice immediately.
Testing
For all sexual transmitted infections the sooner a test is done and treatment given the better and today there are more options than ever to get a test done. There are local sexual health clinic’s that will be able to give you a host of information and support, your GP and there are even available in some areas postal test kits for certain STI’s. Most STI’s can be effectively treated and managed if you go and seek medical support. Getting checked out once a year or every time you change sexual partner is best but he only way to protect against STI’S is to use a condom!!!!
