Tag: STD

Here is one of the simple truths of love and sex in the modern world: You need to be willing to have frank, open discussions with your partner about all matters relating to sex.

To put it bluntly, its not the 1950s anymore, and its not a great idea to be shy or ashamed when it comes to talking to your partner about sex. If youre a little bashful about it, remember, they talk about this stuff on daytime TV, so why be embarrassed over talking about it with the person you take to bed?

You should be willing to talk about every possible detail of your sex life with your partner, be willing to listen, and put no subject out of bounds. This is true when discussing more personal details of satisfaction, but especially true when it comes to issues of health.

If you have, or have had in the past, HPV, you need to tell any new sex partner before intercourse occurs. We know that all of this sort of clinical advice can be difficult to put to work in the real world. Theres no better way to spoil that “first time” mood than to say “Oh by the way, I have genital warts, but its all cleared up, now!”

What you need to do, then, is simply not be bashful about the sexual tension between yourself and your new potential partner. There are no set rules for this sort of thing, but as soon as sexual interaction becomes an open possibility for the future, say around the second date (or the end of the first, if youre getting along incredibly well) its a good idea for both partners to divulge their sexual histories to one another. Get it out of the way early on so you dont have to surprise anyone with it later.

Now, lets say youre clean, youve never contracted HPV or any other sort of venereal disease, so do you need to have this talk?

Yes, of course you do. Having a frank talk about venereal diseases and sexual history isnt just for your partners benefit, its for your benefit, as well. In the event that your partner does have HPV or another STD, you need to talk about it, and somebody needs to break the ice. That wont always be the person who actually does have HPV. Its not that somebodys trying to keep a secret, but can be embarrassing for someone whos suffered genital HPV to willingly bring it up, so that puts the burden on your shoulders to get the talk started.

In this day and age, were not going to say “Ask your partner for a full list of the names and phone numbers of every previous sexual partner”, but some time does need to be dedicated to talking about this sort of thing. Know “where your partner has been”, as it were.

In short, educate yourself on HPV and other sexually transmitted diseases, and dont be embarrassed. Its a talk that every couple needs to have.

And remember that HPV isnt a red light for a sexual relationship, it only means that you need to be careful. Remember that HPV can still be spread without any visible symptoms taking place, and even with a condom, so if you do contract HPV, talk with your physician before having sex again.

With sexually transmitted diseases more common than they have ever been before, raising awareness both about the risks of unprotected sex and the STD testing options that are available has never been more important. Throughout the year, there are calendar dates devoted to various aspects of sexual health. Find out which dates you should be marking down in your diary for 2010.

Sexual Responsibility Week

Running from the 8th to the 14th of February, Sexual Responsibility Week is held early on in the year in order to kick-start a year-long commitment to increasing awareness of sexual health. The student-friendly campaign focuses on promoting sexual responsibility on-campus with this years theme sexology 101 cleverly alluding to the academic. Intending to educate on every topic from relationships to safe sex to STD testing, the week-long campaign is tailored differently for each campus, and is a great way to start the New Year focusing on sexual responsibility.

National Condom Day

February 14th is widely celebrated as being all about Saint Valentine and romance. Each year however, the 14th or a date close to it has become known as National Condom Day. This time of year was chosen as it was believed that a day when people could easily be overcome with passion was a good day to remind them to be careful. Whilst many of the other STD diary dates focus on general sexual health awareness, National Condom Day aims to reach its audience before pregnancy or STD testing is required, urging people to be passionate… about prevention.

National STDs/Family Planning Awareness Month

Far from being an April fools, the National STDs/Family Planning Awareness Month is nationally observed, aiming to encourage people to learn more about the risks of having unprotected sex. Throughout April, paraphernalia related to the event is distributed in workplaces, retail outlets and other businesses in order to spread awareness about the risks of STDs and pregnancy. The campaign also aims to educate people on options such as STD testing that are available to them if they have had unsafe sex.

National HIV Testing Day (NHTD)

Held on the 27th June by the National Association of People with Aids, National HIV Testing Day focuses on encouraging people to go for HIV and STD testing. According to statistics on the NHTD site, someone is infected with HIV every nine and a half minutes in the United States a terrifying statistic. This annual event is held in order to urge people of any age, gender and sexual orientation to go out and take a test, as it is always better to be safe than sorry.

World Aids Day

Observed on an international scale, World Aids Day is held on the 1st December each year and aims to educate people about HIV, and limit prejudice towards those who have the infection. Run by the National AIDS Trust who aim to transform societys views towards those carrying HIV, the day sees people the world over sporting red ribbons to show their support.

Whether it is an event that aims to educate society about safe sex and family planning, or a campaign to promote sexual health and STD testing, these are dates that are well worth marking in your diary.

Ignorance is a bliss this has been the deal. The long been promulgated idea has been inculcated in the minds of people and has dictated their actions since time immemorial. Politicians, in general, use this concept as they swiftly circumvent every charge filed against them – now, that was just for a few laughs. They say that the lesser you know, the lesser the dangers to your life. But this is not always the case.

What are we discussing? You don’t know? Well, it’s about ignorance.

Ignorance doesn’t always put us on the safe side. Instead, ignorance can sometimes spell danger. Contrary to popular belief, there is no better defense to life’s toxic predicaments than a handful of knowledge, and a dose of good, old-fashioned common sense.

Again, to clarify things…the ignorance we are referring to is the sheer lack of knowledge and understanding about sexuality. Sexuality is still one of the most talked about topics in society even if it is responsible for perpetuating human life. But even more rare are the avenues for lengthy and tedious discussion about healthy sexuality. This issue is really a matter of life and death. As a student goes to school for academic nourishment, so must adults go to constantly rendezvous with health professionals in the sexual health clinic.

The sexual health clinic, contrary to what the name suggests, isn’t only geared towards the treatment of sexually-related diseases and sex-related ailments. It is a place where people can get information about sexual health. Genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics and sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinics are just some of the other names that are attributed to sexual health clinics. These institutions are manned by, at the very least, one medical staff who can discuss sexually-related issues. The staff on duty can also refer patients to other health-related institutions which, in their stead, can provide further health service to the patient. Some sexual health clinics target specific types of populations while other clinics cater to all kinds of patients of sexual orientation or preference. According to www.wikipedia.org, there are some clinics that operate specifically to cater to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. These medical institutions provide, with the aide of medical breakthroughs, a wide-array of up-to-date treatments and procedures. Male sexual health clinics have long been providing medical assistance to treat erectile dysfunctions, infertility, premature ejaculation, prostate cancer, prostate gland enlargement, prostatitis, testicular cancer and other male sexual problems.

Female sexual health clinics, on the other hand, provide medical attention to treat a number of sexual and non-sex related illnesses such as menopausal symptoms, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness. Treatments like hormone therapy are provided to address cases of loss of sexual desire or drive, problems with arousal or orgasm, and pain or discomfort during intercourse.