STIs at All-Time High: Experts Meet to Discuss Crisis

In this day and age, you would think we’d have a handle on sexual wellness issues. However, in recent years, rates of gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis in gay men have soared while new HIV infections have also reached record highs. This is according to official figures, so why are we dropping the ball on gay men’s sexual health? A leading expert has commented that this growing epidemic of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which has been linked to a rise in unprotected sex and club drug use, represents “a crisis for gay men”, so what are we doing to tackle this crisis?

 

This week, health chiefs from around the UK will meet in London to look at the research and devise new strategies to tackle the problem, which has seen record highs in infection rates for several STIs. According to wellness writer Charlie Cooper, ‘Paradoxically, the rise of successful drug treatments for HIV has contributed to increased infection rates for other STIs. More men are having unprotected sex in the assumption that they no longer need to wear a condom to protect themselves from the virus, once considered a death sentence before the advent of effective anti-retroviral drugs. Other men are lowering their risk by ‘sero-sorting’, or ensuring partners have the same HIV status as them, but then having unprotected sex, risking the transmission of other infections.’

 

However, in the past five years a worrying new dimension has been added to the problem. Not only are more and more gay men having risky sex; a minority of gay men, particularly in London and other major cities, are taking up high risk sexual behaviour associated with the injection club drugs such as crystal meth. Infection rates of HIV itself have now reached an all-time high, rising to 3,250 new diagnoses in men who have sex with men the UK in 2012. Therefore, it’s not hard to see how David Stuart, substance use lead at the 56 Dean Street sexual health clinic, has come to the conclusion that the situation had reached crisis levels.

 

‘There’s been a flood of new drugs onto the market,’ says Stuart. ‘That has mixed with a lot of confusion about the changing HIV healthcare situation. Once upon a time the message was: “wear a condom and you’re safe”. Now if someone is taking their medicine it’s very hard to transmit the virus even if you don’t use a condom. Thirdly, there’s new technology – things like [gay networking site] Grindr and websites for hooking up online. There’s no training booklet for how to manage your sex life, your romantic life, using these apps.’

 

Cooper details, ‘There were 36,000 STI diagnoses in men who have sex with men in England alone in 2012, including 8,500 new cases of chlamydia, 10,800 for gonorrhoea and 2,100 cases of syphilis. Although improved testing and screening explains some of the rise, health experts agree that high risk behaviours have become much more common.’ Therefore, these experts will be gathering together on Friday at a meeting called by the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH) to try to tackle these behaviours. Gwenda Hughes, head of STI surveillance, asserts that a new holistic approach was needed to address the crisis. ‘We need a much broader strategy to look at the sexual health of men who have sex with men, looking at contextual factors behind their poor sexual health,’ she notes. ‘We want to understand why people are having risky sex. The idea is to look at broader issues around mental health, wellbeing, discrimination and broader health issues in this population.’

Categories: gay men, health, high risk, infection rates, record highs, Research, risky sex, sexual health, sexually transmitted infections, time high, unprotected sex

What Everyone Ought to Know About Syphilis

Around 55,000 people contract syphilis every year, a sexual infection which affects the wellness and wellbeing of people through unprotected sex. According to the Centers for Disease Control, most people (around 79 per cent) who suffer from the disease are men who have had sex with other men, although anyone – male or female – can contract syphilis if they have unprotected sex.

 

What most people don’t realise is that syphilis can be transmitted through all the different types of intercourse, such as vaginal, oral and anal.

 

In the first stage of infection, people who have contracted syphilis may have sores on the area that has come into contact with the infection.

 

This bacterial STI is usually characterised by the presence of a sore on the part of their body which came into contact with the infection. This means that you can get a syphilis sore on your genital area, rectal area or in and around your mouth. When this sore appears, it usually indicates that the syphilis infection is in the first stage, and that the contact with the disease has occurred a few weeks ago.

 

Many people who have the sore still do not realise that they have contracted syphilis. This is because it is often hidden away in an area of the genital or the rectum, and it is also usually painless. During this time frame, this is when syphilis is the most contagious, and this is why it is so easily spread as the affected person will often have sexual contact with another without realising that they are infectious.

 

When syphilis is in the second stage, it usually causes more alarm as it shows up as a rash which spreads over the entire body. This rash may or may not be itchy, and it can include the development of sores in the mouth or on the genitals that appear to be a bit like warts.

Categories: area, contract syphilis, contracted syphilis, genitals, infection, nbsp, people, Syphilis, unprotected sex, warts

How to Take Care of Your Sexual Health on Holiday

When you’re on holiday, it feels like all bets are off with regards to your wellness, and so your judgement goes out the window. Sure, it’s ok to indulge in good food and a cheeky cocktail – you are here to enjoy yourself – but taking care of your sexual health is a different story. When you have unprotected sex on holiday, the sun, sea and sand don’t change the fact that you can contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or become pregnant. This is why it’s important to protect your wellbeing when having sex on holiday, and know where to go for help if you need it.

 

In England, 427,000 new cases of STIs were diagnosed in 2011, rising by 2% from the previous year. Your in the highest risk groups for getting an STI if you’re a straight (heterosexual)15-24 year-old, or a man who has sex with men (MSM). According to sexual health consultant Dr O’Mahony, who sees a clear increase in the numbers of patients during the summer at Chester Sexual Health GUM clinic, ‘People usually get symptoms a week to two weeks after they get back from holiday. People let their guard down on holiday, and some drink and then do things they wouldn’t dream of at home.’

 

The problem with STIs is that not everyone develops symptoms, and so your wellness could be affected without you even realising. Chlamydia, for example, doesn’t cause symptoms in 50% of men and 70-80% of women who are infected. Similarly, if you get HIV you tend to experience a short, flu-like illness that occurs two to six weeks after infection, but then HIV often causes no symptoms for several years after this. Still, there are some symptoms you should watch out for – whether you’re on holiday or not – including unusual discharge from the vagina or penis, pain when urinating, bleeding after sex or between periods and itching, sores, blisters or lumps on or around the genitals. As STIs are more common in some countries, having unprotected sex could increase your risk of these nasty symptoms and infections.

 

As you probably already know, using a condom can greatly reduce your risk of pregnancy and STIs, so it’s important to include protection when you’re packing. You might not be able to find condoms when you’re on holiday, and they may not have the CE mark which indicates that they have been tested to the high safety standards that are required in Europe. Buy a pack of condoms before you go away, and keep then away from any oil-based products in your suitcase. Condoms can be damaged by moisturiser, lotion (including sun cream), baby oil and even lipstick, and heat can also be a problem so you should store your condoms in a cool, dry place when you get there.

 

If you’re on the Pill, patch or implant, your holiday could make this pregnancy prevention less effective. If you can a stomach bug, the vomiting or diarrhoea can interfere with the pill, while some antibiotics and anti-malaria drugs can get in the way of all kinds of contraception (barring the condom). However, long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods, such as the injection, intrauterine system (IUS) and intrauterine device (IUD), are not affected by illness or medication. Still, if you are on the Pill, patch or implant and need prescription medication while you’re away, you should tell the doctor about your contraception and make sure you use a condom while taking the meds, and for 28 days afterwards. Dr O’Mahony adds, ‘Try to avoid having injections in developing countries if you can. Most antibiotics for STIs can be taken orally. Ask for a copy of your drug leaflet [the leaflet that comes with your medication and for details of tests and results, and bring them with you when you have your check-up at home.’

Categories: Condoms, contraception, holiday, nbsp, pill patch, Sex on Holiday, sexual health, STIs, Symptoms, unprotected sex

Could You be at Risk of Getting the STD Chlamydia?

Chlamydia is the most commonly transmitted type of sexual infection. If you have not been careful about your sexual health, then this is one type of disease that you should be worrying about. In order to protect your sexual wellness and wellbeing, you should ensure that you always use protection when having intercourse with a new partner. If you have any concerns about your sexual health, the first and most important thing is to seek help from a medical professional.

 

Chlamydia itself is a bacterial infection that is usually spread through unprotected sex – either vaginal or oral. Not everybody who has chlamydia gets symptoms, so you should get checked out even if you are not suffering from any unusual symptoms.

 

Signs of chlamydia to look out for if you are a man include a white, watery or cloudy discharge from the penis, pain when you are passing urine and a painful swelling of the testicles. If you are a woman, the symptoms can include pain or bleeding during sexual intercourse, bleeding after sex, pain when you are passing urine, any unusual discharge from the vagina or bleeding in between your periods or suffering from  heavier periods than is usual for you.

 

After having unprotected sex with someone suffering from chlamydia, symptoms will take around two or three weeks to appear (although bear in mind that around a quarter of those affected will not get any symptoms at all). The only way to be sure about chlamydia is to have a test.

 

Your local genitourinary medicine clinic (GUM) or doctor’s surgery can give you a free STI test, and it will all be done in complete confidence.

 

People aged under 25 can also get tested for chlamydia as part of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (in England). Ask about it at your local clinic or doctor’s surgery.

Categories: bleeding, Chlamydia, chylamydia, nbsp, passing urine, Sex, sexual, sexual health, STD, Symptoms, unprotected sex

Condomless Clients Contribute to HIV Epidemic in Sex Workers

While recent studies have attempted to prove that sex with a condom is just as pleasurable as without, sex workers aren’t feeling the sexual health benefits of this revelation. According to Canadian research, published in the online edition of the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, there’s a rising HIV epidemic among female sex workers, due to clients paying extra for unprotected sex.

The results of the study revealed that roughly three-quarters were offered more money for sex without a condom and that 19% accepted this money. The Vancouver researchers also found that transgender women, women who experienced client violence and users of methamphetamine were more likely to put their wellbeing at risk by accepting extra money for unsafe sex. The study authors wrote, ‘Our study confirms the high demand by clients for unprotected sex among SWs [sex workers] in an urban Canadian setting. These findings are consistent with other studies, which have suggested that clients looking for unprotected sex may seek out SWs who are particularly vulnerable to coercion.’

Evidence suggests that poverty, unstable housing, violence and policing policies have a significant impact on the ability of sex workers to use condoms, and clients may also have an important role in determining the use of condoms. Therefore, the researchers recruited 490 female sex workers, offering comprehensive HIV and STI testing and counselling. The sex workers completed questionnaires which included sections relating to their social and economic background, sex working patterns, experience of violence and use of recreational drugs.

Of the women involved in the study, 54% reported soliciting for clients independently (e.g. through online advertising), while 26% solicited in indoor sex environments such as brothels, and 71% sought clients outdoor environments, like on the streets. According to the researchers, this shows ‘the substantial overlap in terms of sex work solicitation environments’. 73% of the women surveyed (356) had been offered more money by clients for sex without a condom, 75 of whom risked their wellness by accepting this money and agreeing to unprotected sex.

Older women and indoor sex workers were significantly less likely to report accepting more money for unprotected sex, and the authors surmised this may be because ‘older women with longer duration in sex work may be more experienced in negotiations with clients and more comfortable refusing demands for higher fees.’ They added, ‘Women who work in indoor settings can have more control over negotiations with clients regarding sexual transactions and can charge increased fees, potentially reducing the need to agree to clients’ demands for unsafe sex.’

Categories: Research, Sex Workers, unprotected sex

HIV: Why Unprotected Sex Is Causing Diagnoses To Rise

A new report on sexual health has found that the number of bisexual and gay men having unprotected sex has caused a rise in the number of HIV diagnoses. The rise in men having sex without a condom between 1990 and 2010 rose by 26 percent, which the Health Protection Agency has found now accounts for one in 12 men in London having sex with men who have the HIV virus.

 

The University College of London put together a study in which they created a reconstruction of the HIV epidemic in gay or bisexual men in the UK, which enabled them to look at the relationship between testing rates in HIV, the sexual behaviour of HIV transmission and cases, and antiretroviral treatment. Professor Andrew Phillips of UCL found that this model helped to identify trends in past and present cases which could determine how to reduce the number of people contracting HIV in the future. What the HPA found is that condoms are one of the leading ways to reduce the number of diseases, offering the most effective form of contraception in helping to protect against sexually transmitted diseases in new or casual partners.

 

In November 2011, the HPA noted that the number of people with HIV in the UK had reached a record 96,000 – this doesn’t include the number of people currently infected yet not diagnosed with the disease. Regular check-ups are important in order to reduce the risk of any sexually transmitted diseases, so if you’re sexually active and sleeping with a new partner, you should get yourself checked at a local sexual health clinic. It’s also vital that you use protection when having sex – new research has found that the number of STIs could be 400 percent worse if people ceased to use condoms, highlighting the importance of them during sexual activity.

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HIV: Why Unprotected Sex Is Causing Diagnoses To Rise

Categories: HIV, sexual health, unprotected sex