After a certain age, every people become sexually active! Alike other health status, sexual health is also imperative to stay fit and improvise the quality of life. You can easily maintain so by undergoing regular tests and using protections while having sex.
Monogamy is another step which can make your life less risky, pleasure and enjoyable at the same time. In spite of such simple steps, often people get infected with STIs unknowingly. This blog will let you have a basic idea about STIs so don’t miss to read out.
Reportable diseases
Many STIs are regarded as reportable disease meant that those have to be reported to public health authority. Actually, it is a way to help the public health personnel to determine the trends and trace the abnormal occurrences. Accordingly, public health intervention can be monitored efficiently.
Mandate of the reporting requirements are done by the provincial legislation. So, it differs from a province or territory to another. Some territories have listed diseases such as hepatitis, tuberculosis and measles as STIs as well. However, some common reportable STIs are mentioned below:
- Hepatitis C
- Gonorrhoea
- Hepatitis B
- Syphilis
- Hepatitis A
- HIV AIDS
- Chlamydia
Signs, symptoms and associated complications
STI symptoms and signs vary remarkably. Some common symptoms and signs are listed below which can indicate that you are infected with one. However, STIs usually common one like Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia never exhibit any warning signs and invade the body discreetly. In case, you feel sickness, sexual health testing is highly recommended.
Rarely, STIs stay dormant in the body for several years leading to major and serious medical complications. Despite of their rarity, it can cause Epididymitis, HIV, PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease), cancer, foetus infection, ectopic pregnancy and infertility sometimes. You are responsible for your health and so any difference should be checked out instead of negligence.
General symptoms of STI
- No symptoms
- Rash
- Redness, swelling, bumps and lumps in genitals
- Swelling or pain of glands of groin area
- Blisters and sores in genitals, mouth and anus
- Pain in lower abdomen
- Spotting and vaginal bleeding right after vaginal sex
- Unusual growths in genitals
- Penetration pain
- Bowel movements and painful urination
- Genital itching
- Discoloured or foul-smelled genital discharge
When should you get tested?
Testing should be done when you feel a suspicion of having an infection. Early STI treatment can prevent you from further health issues. Indeed, it’s a great idea to undergo testing when:
- You get new sexual partners
- Both of your partner and you have tested last about 6 months ago
- Any strange change in the body
- Having sex with an STI-infected person
- Have sex with no condom or if the condom had broken out
Where can you get tested?
You can perform STI tests and screening at any sexual health clinics along HIM, youth clinics and GUM clinics. Even many general clinics such as walk-in-clinic and doctor’s office now offer STI testing facility. Here, you can undergo discreet screening, diagnosis and treatment in utmost privacy.
How to look for a sexual health clinic near you?
- A number of Sexual Health Clinic options can be found using the Clinic Finder (link).
- The website of BC Centre for Disease Control- Smart Sex resource has its own clinic finder where you can look for STI Clinics is your locality.
Types of test available
- Variety of tests is widely available for the detection of STIs. Mostly, people test for Syphilis, HIV, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea. Any other test is determined on the basis of the symptoms a person experiences and individual medical history along with that of the family.
- No test is available which can cover every STI and therefore swab, urine and blood samples are collected from areas like genitals and mouth to analysis.
- When you visit to healthcare provider, it is imperative to share the information regarding the sex you have had with your partner. Accordingly tests will be determined by collecting samples from the site vulnerable to STIs.
- To know more or to get to know which test is applicable for a particular STI and which one will be suggested to you, visit Medical Express Clinic
Treatment options for STIs
Many STIs are curable whilst some don’t. In such cases, treatment is administered just to keep the symptoms under control to improve the quality of life. You have to take some preventive measures simultaneously to make the treatment effective as long as possible. Firstly, detection has to be made for the infection and its type- bacterial, viral or fungal.
Accordingly antiviral or antibiotics will be given in dose in terms of the severity of the symptoms to clear the infection. Luckily, some mild STIs get cleared naturally over the course of time. However, regular testing seems to be most substantial to obtain right treatment on time.
Communicate with your partner
If a person found to be positive for an STI, it is important to notify the partners so that they can get tested and diagnosed on an initial stage. Also STI prevention counselling might be needed for them sometimes.
By this way, the infection risk can be reduced and transmission can be stopped. In case you have been diagnosed with any STI, healthcare provider will incorporate you to inform your partner anonymously or by any public health assistance. If you are having any suspicion, don’t get late and visit any private STI clinic in London on making an appointment.Some clinics also offer same day and emergency appointment so choose as per your need. Start searching from your locality to reach out to receive medical attention as early as possible.