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STIs and AIDS

STI’s- check them out

Anyone can get a sexually transmitted infection if they have unprotected sex with someone who is infected. These infections happen frequently in men and women. You can have uncomfortable and painful symptoms. They disrupt your sex life and your partner’s.

If you are sexually active, protect yourself and your partner by using a condom. You may risk getting and passing on sexual infections if you don’t.

Warning signs you can look out for :

  • Discharge from your penis
  • Pain or a burning feeling when you urinate
  • Feeling that you need to urinate more often than usual
  • Sore testicles, itching, rashes, lumps, blisters or pain in your genital area.

If you think you’ve been at risk, or you have symptoms of an infection, please get yourself checked out by a doctor or nurse.

Don’t wait for the symptoms to clear up. Some symptoms do go away without you having treatment, but this doesn’t mean your infection has gone away.

If your infection isn’t treated, serious damage can happen. If you get help early on, most infections can be treated simply.

Has HIV gone away?

HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is the most serious sexually transmitted infection. 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 10 years
or more. They may not know they have the virus. But they can pass it on to other people
through semen, blood and vaginal fluids.

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 do not suit everybody.

HIV can be passed on:

  • if you have vaginal or anal sex without a condom with someone who has HIV;
  • by a mother with HIV to her baby during pregnancy, at birth or through breastfeeding; and
  • by using needles, syringes or other equipment for injecting drugs that is infected with HIV.

Where can I get help?

You can go to your doctor or an NHS sexual health clinic, sexually transmitted disease (STD) or genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinic. These clinics give you free checks and treatment for sexual infections. Their service is strictly confidential, and nobody will know about your visit without your say so.

You can go to any NHS sexual health clinic without seeing your doctor first. If it is urgent, you don’t usually need an appointment. But, please phone first.

You can find information about your nearest NHS sexual health clinic by phoning the National AIDS Helpline free on 0800 567 123, or phone your local hospital and ask for the GUM clinic. Clinics will be listed in the phone book under genito-urinary medicine (GUM), sexually transmitted diseases (STD) or the old term, venereal diseases (VD). You can find information about clinics on the HEA website:

www.lovelife.hea.org.uk

NHS sexual health (GUM) clinics offer free HIV testing, and screening for other infections.