The Better2Know Blog

Better2Know is the global leader in private sexual health testing services. We offer tests and screens for a range of sexually transmitted infections, including HPV. There are over 100 strains of HPV, some of which are responsible for Genital Warts, as well as multiple forms of cancer, including Cervical Cancer.

With more and more reported cases of drug-resistant Gonorrhoea, scientists are growing evermore concerned that the infection is becoming impervious to all standards of treatment.

Coinciding with a gradual decline in condom use, oral sex transmission has been singled out as the driving force behind the recent outbreak of ‘super Gonorrhoea’. Owing to low levels of bacteria and a generally poor response to medication, oral STIs are notoriously difficult to treat. The type of bacteria specific to cases of oral Gonorrhoea gains its resistance to antibiotics directly from the billions of other bacteria housed in the throat. Following an initial throat infection, Gonorrhoea can spread to the genitals, potentially resulting in infertility and/or other long-term health problems. As the condition is often symptomless, infection can spread without the person’s knowledge – hence the significance of regular testing.

Better2Know is the world’s leading private provider of sexual health testing services. With stress-free tests and screens specially designed by our panel of medical experts, STI testing in the UK is now easier than ever before. As well as individual testing for a wide range of infections, Better2Know offers a variety of full STI screening options to give you complete peace of mind.

A South African child infected with HIV at birth has spent most of their life without any need for treatment, it has been revealed.

The nine-year-old, who was diagnosed at just a few weeks old, has been in remission for eight-and-a-half years with no signs or symptoms of the virus being active. Though HIV is still detectable in the child’s immune cells, scientists believe that understanding exactly how he/she developed protection could lead to newer drugs, or even an anti-HIV vaccine.

Better2Know has Instant STI testing available throughout the UK. We offer rapid results for six of the most common sexually transmitted infections and diseases, including HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. With results available just 20 minutes after giving a sample, Better2Know provides STI test results while you wait in the clinic. Our Instant testing can be carried out individually or as part of a combination of tests, known as a screen. Our most popular Instant screens include:

A standard Meningitis B vaccine may hold the key to halting the spread of a drug-resistant, Gonorrhoea ‘superbug’. The World Health Organization recently warned that vaccinations were the “only sustainable way to achieve control” of this dangerous STI. So far, all experimental vaccinations have failed but, remarkably, a pre-existing, licenced vaccine is now providing fresh optimism.

Vitamin D regulates the levels of calcium, iron, magnesium and zinc that the human body absorbs from food. Most of our Vitamin D is generated by our own bodies through exposure to sunlight, though it also exists in some foods, including milk, egg yolks and fatty fish.

The Zika Virus and Better2Know

Better2Know offers Zika testing at hundreds of locations across the UK. We are global leaders in private sexual health testing services. All our confidential tests and screens have been specially designed by a panel of medical experts, and are built to suit your needs. With Better2Know, you will receive your results quickly and efficiently, without having to use your real name. There’s more information on Zika, and the other STI tests we offer, available on our website.
 

Better2Know’s Instant STI Testing is available across London, providing rapid results for six of the most common sexually transmitted infections: HIV, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

Better2Know’s world renowned STD testing service is available throughout London. Global leaders in private sexual health testing, Better2Know can arrange an STD test with a qualified clinician on the very same day that you book your appointment.

Better2Know is the world’s leading provider of private STI testing services, with hundreds of clinics around the globe. Experts in sexual health, all Better2Know’s tests and screens are reviewed by a panel of medical specialists and have been designed to meet your personal requirements.

A global leader in private sexual health testing services, Better2Know provides comprehensive testing for a number of STIs at private facilities across the UK. With a wide range of stress-free tests and screens, specially put together by our panel of medical experts, STI testing in the UK is now easier than ever. With Better2Know, you can book an appointment at a time and location that suits you. We have availability at private sexual health and genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics, as well as private hospitals and doctor’s surgeries.

Young people on the latest HIV medication now have almost the same life expectancy as that of the general population, according to a report by the University of Bristol.

The study, published in The Lancet, found that 20-year-olds who started antiretroviral therapy in 2010 are projected to live up to a decade longer than those who first used it 20 years ago. Researchers looked at nearly 90,000 HIV patients from Europe and North America, basing their life expectancy predictions on death rates during the first three years after patients began their treatment.
While the study authors put the success down to ‘newer drugs with fewer side effects’, charities say there are still too many people unaware that they have HIV.

Genital Warts: What are they?

Genital warts are growths on the skin caused by the Human Papilloma Virus, HPV for short, the most common viral STI in the UK. There are over 100 strains of this highly infectious virus which can, in some cases, be transmitted while practicing safe sex. Certain types of HPV do have the capacity to cause cervical cancer in women, highlighting the importance of receiving regular PAP Smear testing. For MSM, a regular anal swab test is equally as important. The virus can also be responsible for other types of cancer in both sexes as well as genital warts.

Better2Know is the Middle East’s largest provider of private and confidential sexual health testing. With stress-free screens specially put together by our medical experts, testing for STIs in the UAE has never been easier.

The Statistics

According to a report by Public Health England, over 88,000 people in the UK were living with diagnosed HIV in 2015. These figures do not include the thousands of people whose status remains undiagnosed.  It is estimated that as many as one in four people living with HIV in this country are unaware of their infection.

Early detection is crucial in combatting HIV, highlighting the importance of being tested regularly. There are a number of options when it comes to HIV testing with Better2Know – a couple of which can be carried out from the comfort and privacy of your own home.

Manchester and the Zika Virus

After Zika was declared an ‘international emergency’ by the World Health Organisation, scientists at the University of Manchester were awarded £178,000 to develop a vaccine against the virus.
As Zika is not native to the UK, its emergence on these shores is strongly linked with travel to areas of high risk and according to the latest Government figures,  there have been 295 travel-associated cases reported in the UK, seven of which have been diagnosed in pregnant women.

Around 100 people every year are diagnosed as HIV positive in Glasgow. The statistics by  HIV Scotland show that around 40% of new infections are in MSM (Men who have sex with Men), and 30% are as a result of heterosexual transmission, and 30% in injecting drug users.  There are over 1600 people in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde area who are HIV positive.

Public Health Wales has published its Quarterly Report into trends of STIs in Wales (the report covers the quarter to Septemeber 2016).  The report found that:

• Chlamydia has increased by 20%
• First outbreaks of Herpes incrased by 20%
• Syphilis cases increased by 61%
• New diagnosis of HIV fell slightly (2 fewer cases)

Instant HIV Test results are now available in Aberdeen with Better2Know.  We use a fourth generation HIV test – which means it is really accurate just 26 days after any incident that you are concerned about.  It tests for both the p24 antigen and HIV 1 and HIV 2 antibodies.  If you are in Aberdeen and worried about your HIV status, then Better2Know can help you.

Having a Chlamydia Test in London is fast and easy with Better2Know.  Results can be ready in just 20 minutes with our instant Chlamydia Tests.  Chlamydia is more prevalent in London than the rest of England, so it is important for Londoners to get tested regularly.  Chlamydia often has no symptoms, so the only way to know whether you have it is to get tested.

Birmingham has one of the highest rates of STIs in the population of all the cities in the UK.  Nearly 1 in 100 people who came forward for testing have an STI according to Public Health England.  However, does this mean that Brummies are more likely to come forward for testing if they are concerned about their health?

We have clinics all over London where you can get a herpes test.  Your Better2Know herpes test will tell you whether you have type 1 (usually oral herpes), type 2 (usually genital herpes), neither, or both.  We can help you to find our whether you have symptoms at the time of the test or not.

The short answer to the question of this post is: probably.  Although not definitively proven to the level that most doctors would like, there is certainly a lot of evidence to suggest that Zika can be passed on sexually.  Particularly from men to women.

New HIV Infections in MSM (Men who have sex with men) have fallen by almost a third since 2015, according to research published by Public Health England.  Around half of all the new HIV infections in the UK each year are in MSM, so this means a reduction of one-sixth in new infections overall.  It it thought that the main reason for this could be people buying PrEP on line.

Better2Know has a range of testing options and locations in Manchester for your Chlamydia and other STI tests.  No matter what your circumstances, we can help you to get tested quickly and confidentially.

2017’s Cervical Cancer Prevention Week is from 22 to 28 January.  This week raises awareness of cervical cancer, and the importance of prevention through regular testing.  A Pap Smear takes a sample of cells from the cervix.  They are examined to see if they contain and cancerous or pre-cancerous cells.  Depending on your age, women are asked to attend every 3 or 5 years for a smear test.  To raise awareness join the Better2Know team in #SmearforSmear.

Happy National STI Test Day! Although this may be one day that the greetings card makers have yet to make cards for, today is National STI Test Day.  It is two weeks after New Year, which is the recommended incubation or window period for a number STIs.  

Over the Christmas period, we have been busier than ever this year.  Our instant STI tests have been really popular with people who “need to know” before Christmas or the New Year.  We have instant tests results for: HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, and Syphilis.

If you are reading this blog, chances are that you have had fun over the festive period, and are now thinking about getting tested. You are not alone. Most of our patients in January are doing the right thing in looking after their sexual health and getting tested.