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Sexual Health and STD's
Published 2004-08-02
By BBC health
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
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What is Sexual Health? What does sexual health mean to you?
Sexual health is not just about methods of birth control and avoiding sexually transmitted infections; it is also about the enjoyment of sexual activity without causing harm either to yourself or anyone else.
Sexual health means making positive choices for yourself and your partners.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Did you know that here are at least 25 different STIs? But the most common STIs are gonorrhoea, genital warts, genital herpes, and chlamydia.
Not all STIs show symptoms, and sometimes the symptoms go away while the infection is still present. If you think you have been at risk, get a check-up at a sexual health clinic or see your GP or practice nurse.
Chlamydia is one of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and is easily transmitted. It usually infects the genitals of both men and women, but can also infect the throat, rectum and eyes. It's particularly common in young people, but can affect anyone who's sexually active.
Chlamydia is mainly passed from one person to another through sexual activity such as:
vaginal or anal sex with an infected partner oral sex, although this is less common sharing sex toys It can also be passed from a mother to her baby at birth.
You can't catch chlamydia from kissing, hugging, sharing baths, towels, cups, plates or cutlery, or from toilet seats.
Signs and symptoms More than two-thirds of women and half of men who have chlamydia have no symptoms at all; others have symptoms so mild they aren't noticeable.
Symptoms in women: an unusual vaginal discharge pain when passing urine bleeding between periods pain during sex or bleeding after sex low abdominal pain
Symptoms in men: white/cloudy, watery discharge from the tip of the penis pain or a burning sensation when passing urine testicular pain and/or swelling
Gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection sometimes called 'the clap'. It infects the genitals, urethra, anus, rectum and throat. More rarely, it can affect the blood, skin, joints and eyes.
Gonorrhoea is infectious and easily passed on through:
vaginal, oral or anal sex close physical contact sharing sex toys from a mother to her baby at birth It can also be passed from the genitals to the eyes by the fingers.
You can't catch gonorrhoea from sharing towels, cups, plates or cutlery, or from toilet seats.
Signs and symptoms About one in ten men and one in two women with gonorrhoea have no symptoms at all. Any symptoms that do occur may be noticed one to 14 days after infection. Gonorrhoea in the throat rarely shows symptoms.
Symptoms in women: strong smelling vaginal discharge that may be thin/watery or yellow/green pain when passing urine irritation or discharge from the anus possibly some low abdominal or pelvic tenderness
Symptoms in men: white, yellow or green discharge from the tip of the penis inflammation of the testicles and prostate gland pain when urinating irritation or discharge from the anus
Genital warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and can appear anywhere on the genital or anal area. Rarely, they appear in the mouth, throat or nose.
Genital warts are passed on by direct skin-to-skin genital contact with an infected person. This includes:
vaginal or anal sex close body contact rarely, oral sex Condoms can't offer full protection against genital warts, as the virus is passed on through direct skin-to-skin contact, and condoms only cover the penis.
You can't catch genital warts from sharing baths, towels, cups, plates or cutlery, or from toilet seats.
Signs and symptoms Only about one per cent of people with HPV have any visible warts. If symptoms do develop, it can be several months after infection.
Warts don't affect everyone in the same way.
Warts appear as small white lumps or larger, cauliflower-shaped growths. There may be just one wart, or many. They can appear anywhere on the genitals - around the vulva, penis, scrotum or anus; they can appear around the anus without you having had anal sex. Warts are painless, but can irritate the skin. Warts can develop inside the vagina or anus, or on the cervix.
The highest rates of genital warts are recorded for men and women aged 20 to 24, although sexually active people of any age can be infected.
Genital herpes. Once the herpes virus is in your body, it's there for good.
Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus. There are two types of the virus:
type I usually causes cold sores around the mouth, but can affect the genital and anal areas type II usually causes sores in the genital and anal areas, but sometimes affects the mouth
Some people have one outbreak of herpes, others have repeated outbreaks. Genital herpes doesn't generally cause serious health problems.
Genital herpes is passed on by direct skin contact, mainly during vaginal, oral or anal sex, or kissing.
There are ways in which you can avoid passing on genital herpes:
During an outbreak, the blisters and sores are highly infectious. Avoid contact with the infected area of skin at this time or during the warning signs of an outbreak. Condoms may help protect against genital herpes, although their effectiveness is unclear as the virus is present on the skin, and the condom only covers the penis so it can't offer complete protection. It's unclear how easy it is to pass on the virus between outbreaks or when you have no symptoms.
You can't catch genital herpes from sharing baths, towels, cups, plates or cutlery, or from toilet seats.
Signs and symptoms Many people show no signs of the virus. Others don't recognise the symptoms if they're very mild. Symptoms can develop at any time after contact with the virus, from four or five days later to even weeks, months and years afterwards.
Symptoms include:
fluid-filled blisters that burst leaving painful sores flu-like symptoms - headache, backache, swollen glands in the groin or fever tingling or itching sensation in the genitals or anal area pain when passing urine over the sores Left untreated, the symptoms last approximately two to three weeks. Recurrent infections are milder and symptoms clear up more quickly (within three to five days).
Published 2004-08-02
By BBC health
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What is Sexual Health? What does sexual health mean to you?
Sexual health is not just about methods of birth control and avoiding sexually transmitted infections; it is also about the enjoyment of sexual activity without causing harm either to yourself or anyone else.
Sexual health means making positive choices for yourself and your partners.
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) Did you know that here are at least 25 different STIs? But the most common STIs are gonorrhoea, genital warts, genital herpes, and chlamydia.
Not all STIs show symptoms, and sometimes the symptoms go away while the infection is still present. If you think you have been at risk, get a check-up at a sexual health clinic or see your GP or practice nurse.
Chlamydia is one of the most common bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and is easily transmitted. It usually infects the genitals of both men and women, but can also infect the throat, rectum and eyes. It's particularly common in young people, but can affect anyone who's sexually active.
Chlamydia is mainly passed from one person to another through sexual activity such as:
vaginal or anal sex with an infected partner oral sex, although this is less common sharing sex toys It can also be passed from a mother to her baby at birth.
You can't catch chlamydia from kissing, hugging, sharing baths, towels, cups, plates or cutlery, or from toilet seats.
Signs and symptoms More than two-thirds of women and half of men who have chlamydia have no symptoms at all; others have symptoms so mild they aren't noticeable.
Symptoms in women: an unusual vaginal discharge pain when passing urine bleeding between periods pain during sex or bleeding after sex low abdominal pain
Symptoms in men: white/cloudy, watery discharge from the tip of the penis pain or a burning sensation when passing urine testicular pain and/or swelling
Gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection sometimes called 'the clap'. It infects the genitals, urethra, anus, rectum and throat. More rarely, it can affect the blood, skin, joints and eyes.
Gonorrhoea is infectious and easily passed on through:
vaginal, oral or anal sex close physical contact sharing sex toys from a mother to her baby at birth It can also be passed from the genitals to the eyes by the fingers.
You can't catch gonorrhoea from sharing towels, cups, plates or cutlery, or from toilet seats.
Signs and symptoms About one in ten men and one in two women with gonorrhoea have no symptoms at all. Any symptoms that do occur may be noticed one to 14 days after infection. Gonorrhoea in the throat rarely shows symptoms.
Symptoms in women: strong smelling vaginal discharge that may be thin/watery or yellow/green pain when passing urine irritation or discharge from the anus possibly some low abdominal or pelvic tenderness
Symptoms in men: white, yellow or green discharge from the tip of the penis inflammation of the testicles and prostate gland pain when urinating irritation or discharge from the anus
Genital warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV) and can appear anywhere on the genital or anal area. Rarely, they appear in the mouth, throat or nose.
Genital warts are passed on by direct skin-to-skin genital contact with an infected person. This includes:
vaginal or anal sex close body contact rarely, oral sex Condoms can't offer full protection against genital warts, as the virus is passed on through direct skin-to-skin contact, and condoms only cover the penis.
You can't catch genital warts from sharing baths, towels, cups, plates or cutlery, or from toilet seats.
Signs and symptoms Only about one per cent of people with HPV have any visible warts. If symptoms do develop, it can be several months after infection.
Warts don't affect everyone in the same way.
Warts appear as small white lumps or larger, cauliflower-shaped growths. There may be just one wart, or many. They can appear anywhere on the genitals - around the vulva, penis, scrotum or anus; they can appear around the anus without you having had anal sex. Warts are painless, but can irritate the skin. Warts can develop inside the vagina or anus, or on the cervix.
The highest rates of genital warts are recorded for men and women aged 20 to 24, although sexually active people of any age can be infected.
Genital herpes. Once the herpes virus is in your body, it's there for good.
Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus. There are two types of the virus:
type I usually causes cold sores around the mouth, but can affect the genital and anal areas type II usually causes sores in the genital and anal areas, but sometimes affects the mouth
Some people have one outbreak of herpes, others have repeated outbreaks. Genital herpes doesn't generally cause serious health problems.
Genital herpes is passed on by direct skin contact, mainly during vaginal, oral or anal sex, or kissing.
There are ways in which you can avoid passing on genital herpes:
During an outbreak, the blisters and sores are highly infectious. Avoid contact with the infected area of skin at this time or during the warning signs of an outbreak. Condoms may help protect against genital herpes, although their effectiveness is unclear as the virus is present on the skin, and the condom only covers the penis so it can't offer complete protection. It's unclear how easy it is to pass on the virus between outbreaks or when you have no symptoms.
You can't catch genital herpes from sharing baths, towels, cups, plates or cutlery, or from toilet seats.
Signs and symptoms Many people show no signs of the virus. Others don't recognise the symptoms if they're very mild. Symptoms can develop at any time after contact with the virus, from four or five days later to even weeks, months and years afterwards.
Symptoms include:
fluid-filled blisters that burst leaving painful sores flu-like symptoms - headache, backache, swollen glands in the groin or fever tingling or itching sensation in the genitals or anal area pain when passing urine over the sores Left untreated, the symptoms last approximately two to three weeks. Recurrent infections are milder and symptoms clear up more quickly (within three to five days).