|
What are STI's?
Protecting from STI's
Important to realise
Where to go for help
Types of STI
Who will you see at a clinic?
Finding a clinic
HIV and AIDs
Introduction
How is HIV passed on?
Drugs and staying safe
HIV test
What
are STI’s?
During sexual contact infections can be passed from one person
to another. These are known as Sexually Transmitted Infections
(STIs).
If you are having sex you can get an STI.
top
Protecting from STIs
Safer sex
- Always use a condom for vaginal, anal and oral sex
- Safer sex is all your responsibility and all your partners
A female condom (which fits inside the vagina) is also available.
It offers an alternative method of protection against STIs and
pregnancy.
top
It is important to realise:
- Many STIs have no obvious symptoms of illness, so you could have
an infection and not know it.
- STIs occur frequently in both men and women.
- Many STIs are curable and all are preventable.
- Delaying treatment could mean that the infection gets worse and
other problems could occur.
- A mother can pass on an untreated infection to her child during
pregnancy and birth.
top
Where to go for help
A doctor may be able to help or a clinic that specialises in STIs.
They can do all the tests that are needed and give you the most
suitable treatment usually within 2 or 3 visits. These clinics
are called genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics.
You don’t need a letter from your doctor to be seen at these
clinics. They won’t tell your doctor that you have visited
them unless you say they can. The service and treatment is free
and confidential. That means they won’t let anyone know you
have been to them, except those helping with your treatment. And
they won’t judge you about anything, or about anyone you
may have been with.
top
Types of STI
There are many types of STI:
Common
- Genital warts
- Chlamydia
- Non-specific urethritis (NSU)
- Genital herpes
- Gonorrhoea (or the clap)
Less common
- Trichomonas vaginalis (TV)
- Syphilis (the pox)
- HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)
- Hepatitis B and C
- Infestations, including scabies and pubic lice (crabs)
Other infections are occasionally, but not always, spread
through sexual contact. These include thrush,
bacterial vaginosis and cystis.
top
Who will you see at a clinic?
A nurse, a doctor and a health adviser. They will be able to:
- Find out if you do have a sexual infection
- Offer you treatment
- Answer all your questions and help you cope with any worries
- Help you tell any sexual partner what has happened so that they
can get treatment too
- In some cases, give you free condoms to help protect yourself and
your partner in the future
top
Finding a clinic
- You can look in the phone book under GUM or ask at you local hospital
- You can phone the Family Planning Association (0171 636 7866) and
ask for the Clinics Enquiries Service.
- The
National AIDs Help line (0800 567 123) is a free, confidential,
24hour phone line that can tell you where your local
clinic is.
top
H.I.V
and A.I.Ds HIV
is the most serious STI. It damages the body’s defence
system so that it cannot fight off some infections. Most people
who have HIV look and feel healthy for a long time, sometimes for
10years or more. They may not know they have the virus. However,
they can pass it on to other people through semen, blood and vaginal
fluids. If you have another untreated STI, you increase the risk
of getting HIV or passing HIV to your partner.
When
someone with HIV goes on to get certain illnesses, this condition
is
called AIDs (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). New treatments
have been developed which mean that most people can stay well for
longer although these don’t suit everybody.
HIV infection is spread throughout the world. But there are currently
some parts of the world where known levels of infection are higher
than others.
top
How is HIV passed on?
In the UK there are 3 main ways in which HIV can be passed on:
- By having vaginal or anal sex without a condom with someone who
has HIV.
- By using needles, syringes or other drug-injecting equipment that
is infected with HIV.
- From a woman with HIV to her baby during pregnancy, at birth or
through breastfeeding.
top
Drugs and Staying Safe
How can you avoid HIV if you inject drugs?
Always use your own equipment or ‘works’ – syringe,
needle, spoon, bowl and water. Needle exchanges provide free supplies
of sterile equipment and condoms, and can dispose safely of used
drug-injecting equipment.
What
if you use someone else’s works?
You can reduce the risk of HIV by cleaning used works thoroughly,
first with water, then bleach. But this is never as safe as using
your own sterile equipment.
For
details of needle exchanges click here or call the National
Drugs Help line on 0800 776600. this service is free and confidential.
top
HIV test
Tests can be carried out by NHS GUM clinics. Click here for more
information.
The
National AIDs Help line (NAH) 0800 567 123. 24hours, 7 days
a week.
top
To
find out when the clinic is available at the Quay Advice Centre, click
here
For
more information or if you would like to talk to someone
at the Advice Centre, please feel free to phone (01202
262291), email (info@quayadvice.co.uk)
or call in to the Quay Advice Centre (map)
|
|
