Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD's)

If you suspect you have a sexually transmitted disease then go and get a check-up. You don't have to go to your own GP or campus clinic. You can contact a local GUM (genito-urinary clinic) Check phonebook for GUM, STD, VD or special clinic. Most large hospitals have a GUM clinic.

The longer you leave a problem the worse it will get...

Interestingly, although men are less likely to go to the doctors than a woman, and it's generally women who go to the family planning clinics, men are more likely to attend GUM clinics. After reading the following list, both guys and girls will, if they're half-sensible, visit clinics at the first symptoms - better be safe than sorry.

Here are some of the seriously scary and unpleasant diseases you can get if you're not careful. Some are extremely painful; all are very embarrassing and will stop your nookie for a long while, whilst others are life threatening:

Chlamydia

Common bacterial sexually transmitted infection, treatable if caught, if not it can cause complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease in women, leading to infertility.

Look for a white-ish discharge from the penis, which often stains underwear, a burning pain when going to the loo and possibly swelling in the eyes. Many women have no symptoms at all, though may experience an increase in vaginal discharge, irregular menstrual cycles, stomach pain, wanting to go to the loo more frequently, pain on passing urine and during sex, and swelling in the eyes.

Treatment: Visit an STD or GUM clinic or your GP for diagnosis and a course of antibiotics.

Gonorrhoea

This is a sexually transmitted bacterial infection affecting throat and anus as well as internal organs.

Look for a yellow or white discharge from the penis, discharge and/or itching in the anus, swollen testicles and prostrate gland. Women may have a yellow or greenish, strong smelling vaginal discharge, a burning pain when going to the loo and pain/discharge from the anus. Be careful, you can be infected without noticing symptoms.

Treatment: Visit to STD or GUM clinic or GP. Treatment is antibiotics sometimes in an injection.

Hepatitis

An inflammation of the liver of which there are many strains. HEP A and HEP E can be caused by drinking too much or by bacterial infection, while HEP B, D and C are caused by a viral infection.

HEP B can often be transmitted through sex from blood and other body fluids.

Hepatitis is very infectious. Using condoms reduces the risk, though it can still be contracted through oral sex with an infected partner.

Treatment: Hepatitis sufferers should have liver checks and try to avoid alcohol and stimulants.

Herpes

Not that guy who makes posh silk scarves, but an infection caused by the herpes simplex virus spread through oral or physical sex. It can be just a single attack but for many it can last for years as a recurrent problem.

Look for blisters and sores around the mouth and genitals and itching and burning in and around the penis or vagina. First attacks are often accompanied by fever or headaches.

Treatment: There is no real cure, though anti-viral creams and drugs may be given and painkillers can ease discomfort. Try bathing in salty water. Women sufferers should have regular cervical smears because of complications.

Don't have sex while affected with blisters and sores, as herpes spreads easily and condoms do not give complete protection.

Contact: Herpes Association, 41 North Road, London N7.

HIV / AIDS

A virus which attacks the human immune system, the body's defence against disease. A person with HIV may develop infections or symptomatic illnesses through having a damaged immune system. A person with HIV may stay well for a long time, possibly ten years, though it may be much less, during which time they will not look as if they have the virus - indeed, they may not know themselves.

A person with HIV may develop a rare illness or cancer because their immune system is weakened - they are then said to have AIDS - Acquired Immunity Deficiency Syndrome (it describes a range of illnesses or diseases related to HIV) An AIDS sufferer can have periods of good health and periods when they are seriously ill. They may live for several years, but AIDS is generally fatal.

How do you get it?

A person must get a sufficient amount of the HIV virus into their bloodstream from the body fluids (blood, semen, vaginal fluids, menstrual fluids, breast milk) of an infected person. This can happen through having unprotected sex (vaginal or anal), through sharing drug equipment with someone who is HIV positive, through an infected blood transfusion or through donated sperm. A woman with HIV could infect a baby during pregnancy, delivery or breast-feeding.

Other body fluids like saliva, urine or sweat do not contain enough of the HIV virus to infect another person.

The HIV virus cannot pass through the air or through intact skin, so it is safe to study, work or live with men, women or children who have HIV or AIDS.

National AIDS Help-line: 0800 567123 - 24 hours, free and confidential.

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease

This is a serious and surprisingly common infection of the upper genital tract in women. In its early stages it affects the uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes by causing inflammation and scarring, but if left untreated it can lead to infertility, chronic pelvic pain and ectopic pregnancies (where the egg grows in the fallopian tubes). This can be fatal.

Not all women will show the same PID symptoms. The most common are lower abdominal pains and abnormal vaginal discharge. Some women may suffer from fever; pain in the right upper abdomen, painful intercourse and irregular menstrual bleeding and others may only receive minor pains or no pains at all. Those who have no symptoms at all are the less fortunate ones because they are more likely to suffer from damaged reproductive organs from lack of treatment.

Treatment: is by antibiotics, to help destroy the infectious organisms. Patients need to be re-evaluated 2 or 3 days after treatment has began to be sure that the antibiotics are taking effect. Physicians also recommend that sex partners should be treated even if they do not have the symptoms, as they may be infected with organisms that can cause PID. One third of women who have had PID will have the disease at least one more time.

An ectopic pregnancy is where the egg becomes fertilised but cannot pass into the uterus to grow. The fertilised egg cannot grow normally in the fallopian tube. This type of pregnancy is life threatening and is the leading cause of maternal deaths in African-American women.

Syphilis

Treponema Pallidum, the bacterium that causes syphilis, can be found in sores and rashes in the mouth or the genital area. A person becomes infected with syphilis when they have been exposed to moist lesions of skin of an infected person or through sex (vaginal, anal or oral) with an infected person.

The sores that appear 10-90 days after contact with an infected person are usually painless and are accompanied by swollen glands. These sores will eventually disappear even without treatment. A rash will then appear six weeks after the first attack anywhere on the body. In the second stage of attack a person may also suffer from tiredness, fever, sore throat, headaches, hoarseness, loss of appetite and swollen glands. These symptoms will also eventually disappear if untreated, although they may reoccur. After this second stage the only other way a person may be made aware of the disease is through a blood test. Untreated, syphilis can lead to destruction of soft tissue and bone, heart failure, insanity and blindness. A mother can also pass the disease onto her unborn child, which may result in death or deformity of the child.

Treatment: of syphilis is by penicillin or tetracycline. For people who are allergic to penicillin other antibiotics may be prescribed, or a physician may decide that a patient should undergo penicillin desensitisation followed by appropriate penicillin therapy.