Easy Ways to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
Here are the most common STIs in the United Kingdom:
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Chlamydia: This is a common STI in young people. It is easy to cure, but can cause problems if not treated.
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Gonorrhoea: This is the second most common STI. It is easy to cure, but can hurt your body if not treated.
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Epididymis-orchitis: This only affects boys and men. It makes part of the testicles sore and swollen.
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Hepatitis A or B: These viruses hurt your liver. You can feel sick for a short time or for a long time.
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Hepatitis C: This virus also hurts your liver. It is the most common kind in the UK.
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HPV (Human papillomavirus): This virus can cause warts or sometimes cancer. There are vaccines to help prevent HPV.
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Genital herpes: This virus causes painful sores on your private parts. It can come back again and again.
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Genital warts: These are small, bumpy spots on your private parts. They are caused by the HPV virus.
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HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus): This virus makes it hard to fight off sickness. Some people do not know they have it.
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Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID): This infection affects girls’ and women’s reproductive organs. It can cause problems if not treated.
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Trichomonas vaginalis (TV): This is a tiny germ that lives in private parts. It is easy to treat with medicine.
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Urethritis (NGU): This means the tube you pee from is swollen. It is often caused by chlamydia.
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Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV): This is a type of chlamydia. It can hurt your body if not treated.
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Syphilis: This is a bacterial infection that spreads easily. It can cause serious problems if not treated.
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Mycoplasma genitalium (Mgen): This is a tiny germ like chlamydia. It can infect both boys and girls.
Use condoms, get tested, and ask a doctor or nurse if you are worried. Vaccines can help prevent some STIs.
Individual or behavioural factors that may increase the risk of STIs include:
- Multiple partners (simultaneously or over time)
- Anonymous or casual sexual partners
- Sexual intercourse without the use of a barrier method
- Sexual relations with people with an STIs
- History of STIs
- Drugs or substance use (drugs, alcohol, or both)
- Misuse of erectile dysfunction medications
- History of intimate partner violence or sexual violence
- Social environments (e.g., saunas, circuit parties, post-secondary institutions)
Three methods of STIs prevention exist: the barrier method, the vaccination and the assessment of STIs on your sexual partner.
Barrier methods:
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External condoms cover the penis.
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Internal condoms go inside the vagina or anus.
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Dental dams are used during oral sex.
These all make a barrier and stop body fluids from mixing.There are three kinds of condoms: latex, synthetic polymer, and natural membrane. Natural membrane condoms are made from sheep parts and do not block all germs. Latex and synthetic condoms are better at stopping most germs, like HIV and chlamydia. Condoms do not fully protect against all STIs, like syphilis or HPV.
If you are allergic to latex, use synthetic polymer condoms or dental dams. Never use oil or Vaseline with latex condoms. Oil can make latex condoms break.
Using a lubricant can help keep condoms from slipping, but sometimes it can make things worse. Some medicines for the vagina can make latex condoms weaker. Do not use condoms with spermicide called nonoxynol-9 (N-9) to stop STIs. N-9 can hurt your skin and make it easier to get germs.
Always check the label to use condoms safely. Go to the doctor for regular STI tests, especially with a new partner.
You can get shots to prevent HAV, HBV, and HPV. Ask about these vaccines if you have more than two partners in a year.
- HAV is transmitted by the focal-oral route, resulting either from direct contact with infected people, from contamination of objects, or from consumption of contaminated water or food. There are also reports of transmission through exposure to infected blood. Certain sexual practices and sharing of drug paraphernalia can put people at risk of contracting HAV.
- HBV is transmitted through percutaneous or mucosal contact with infectious body fluids, including during sexual intercourse, sharing drug paraphernalia, and by mothers presenting acute or chronic HBV infection to their newborns. Saliva is considered infectious if it contains visible blood or when bites cause skin lesions.
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HPV Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection: Routine HPV vaccination is recommended for both men and women over 17 years old and for those at increased risk of contracting the virus, whether they have been exposed to HPV or been diagnosed with HPV infection or HPV-related illness. Vaccination against HPV before the start of sexual activity, and exposure to HPV, optimizes the benefits of the vaccine. People who are already sexually active or who have HPV can benefit from the vaccine, since it protects them against genotypes to which they have not been exposed.
Vaccination is effective in preventing acquisition of the HPV genotypes responsible for most genital warts and HPV-related cancers, but it does not protect against all HPV genotypes. Additionally, the vaccine has no effect on HPV infections or existing genital warts.
Assessment of STIs on your sexual partner. Asking a future sexual partner for his or her most recent results of medical tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) before having sexual intercourse is another effective method of countering the spread of STIs.
Here, blind trust in the words of a person you barely know is inappropriate, it is a question of your health.
So your next partner should be happy to ask the same information about you, then your faith will be stronger, if is or her test same and he or she said.
You can find the : Sexually transmitted infections (STIs): migrant health guide on this site https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis-migrant-health-guide
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