The Better2Know Blog

There are lots of ways to test for Chlamydia.  If you are not sure which test you have had then please check with your doctor.

A new test is being developed that will identify markers of both HIV and prostate cancer.

It is clear to see that HIV gets less media attention than it did during the first few years of the UK Aids epidemic, but it is far from an issue of the past. Since the epidemic broke out in the 1980’s nearly 30 million people have died from Aids-related causes.

Getting an STI check-up is a good idea because:

Northern Ireland’s first abortion clinic (which opened last month) continues to attract controversy.  Queries have been raised over its roles and the regulation of the facility operated by Marie Stopes, which is now going to be subject to a review and inquiry by Northern Ireland’s Justice Committee.

A new morning after pill that can be taken up to 5 days after sexual intercourse is being trialled in Plymouth. The traditional morning after pill needs to be taken within 72 hours of having sexual intercourse.

British Women are hitting their sexual peak at 35 a new report says, with more women than ever scoring themselves highly in their performance and giving themselves 10 out of 10.

There are two main types of HIV test available in the UK today: 4th generation and 3rd generation HIV tests.  (The 1st and 2nd generation tests have now been superseded by more accurate tests).

Worried parents have expressed concerns that giving their 12 to 13 year old daughters the HPV vaccine will encourage them to have sex earlier.  A new study has found that this is not the case.

The new BBC3 series “Unsafe Sex in the City” is on Wednesday nights at 9pm and is a behind the scenes look at an NHS GUM clinic in Manchester.

Many young men now admit to taking Viagra, even when they are just hoping they might “get lucky”.  They report that the drug makes them feel aroused and they feel more confident because of this.

From 1 April 2013, the NHS will no longer be responsible for sexual health screening (including Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis) testing and treatment of standard cases.  This responsibility is shifting to Local Authorities, although the NHS will be responsible for HIV testing and treatment.  This split of duties is likely to lead to confusion with the possibility that in some areas patients will have to go to two different places with different appointment times in order to get a full range of tests.

The amount of STIs in the UK is at an all-time high with almost half a million new cases in the last year alone.

For years the talk of male contraception has centered around women saying “I’d never trust him to take it”. The male “pill” is now a step closer.  An injection which stops sperm from being able to swim as far has been developed.

A woman has told a court of  when she told her previous sexual partner that he may have infected her with HIV.  It is alleged that Leslie Pringle  had unprotected sex often with the woman despite knowing he was HIV positive.  Pringle is on trial for Grevious Bodily Harm for deliberately infecting someone with the HIV virus.

A group of Researchers at the University of Colorado have found that a site aimed at teenagers encouraging safer sex has decreased their chances of catching an STD.

Apart from the obvious fun advantages of a sex toy, you may also think that at least it is the one “partner” that won’t cheat on you, won’t snore and never even touches the loo seat…. and they won’t give you an STD.  Right?  Well probably, but not always.  As long as your toy remains faithful to you and you clean it thoroughly after any infection then you should be safe.

However sharing a sex toy with your partner (or a friend) means that yes it can transfer an STI if not cleaned properly.  Experts recommend using a condom on it (which also helps with lube) as some of the toys are made of materials where bacteria and viruses can live.

They normally come with special cleaning fluid/ wipes and these are essential to use to prevent infection with a shared toy.  Toys made out of glass are more easily sterilised than those made out of plastic or rubber.

Toys which can draw blood (whips, needles, restraints) can pass many infections including STIs and so their use is to be regarded as high risk if you do not know who else has used them.

If you think your vibrator may have given you an STI, Better2Know can help get you a private STD test at any of our national clinics.

The British HIV Association (BHIVA), the body that represents HIV care professionals, said that patients with HIV are being denied longer life expectancies because they are being diagnosed too late: up to 1 in 4 people who test positive for HIV could have been diagnosed earlier.  GPs are missing the signs of HIV related illnesses in their patients who report ill health.

If I responded to this question with anything other than, of course I’d choose not to have genital herpes, you would think I’m lying. Not only would that response sound contrived, you’d stop reading and move along to a post that is actually realistic. However, I must warn you, there’s a huge BUT to my answer. You had to know that was coming, right? The deal is, if I could change only one thing about my past, genital herpes wouldn’t be my choice. If I could go back and change a couple things and take away my genital herpes, I’d do that too, because it’s a nuisance. However, I’d only take back having genital herpes if it didn’t erase all of the positive things that have come about as a result of having it. That is why I have to carefully answer a question like that, because answering requires a more detailed explanation than a simple yes or no affords.

Marie Stopes Northern Ireland has opened a world class sexual and reproductive health centre in Belfast, offering the people of Northern Ireland a wide range of family planning and sexual health services under one roof.

Carlisle in Cumbria has been named the most promiscuous city in Europe according to a new poll by a US dating website (seeking arrangement.com).  100% of those who took part in the survey claimed they had had 14 partners or more in the last year – more than one a month, and more than most men who took part in the survey had in their lifetime.

A 2010 study conducted by the Health Survey for England reported a mean national average of 9.3 sexual partners in a lifetime among the UK’s men, and the same study revealed that only 27 per cent of men nationwide had more than ten sexual partners in their lifetime.

The cities were:

1. Carlisle, UK

2. Prague, Czech Republic

3. Vienna, Austria

4. Mykonos, Greece

5. Barcelona, Spain

6. Amsterdam, The Netherlands

7. Monaco City, Monaco

8. Paris, France

9. Dublin, Ireland

10. Stockholm, Sweden

Most of the men in the survey said they had only had 3 to 4 partners each year, with an average of 9 across the EU.

Having multiple partners can be fun, but it is important to be responsible about your and their sexual health.  If you slept with 14 people in the last year, who have each slept with 13 other people – that’s over 200 people who you could have caught or transmitted something to (without taking into account how many people they have sexual intercourse with).   Better2Know recommends regular testing every 3 to 6 month is advised for this level of sexual activity.

Following our blog post last week on safer sex as people age, we have been joined by Councillor Maggie Mansell from Croydon (South of London) who is proposing to publish a leaflet aimed at those over 60 with an active sex life which would be distributed through pharmacies and GPs.

If you are worried that you might have HIV, the only way you can know is to have an HIV test.  Testing has moved on and it is now possible to have a test just ten says after any incident you are concerned about.

New research in Canada has been looking at the different methods of testing for Chlamydia and gonorrhoea in Men.

At Better2Know we are often asked about training to improve the knowledge of the health care teams we work with.  As well as our own internal training programmes, leaflets and manuals there are also several external courses that can earn you credit towards a recognised qualification (while we work on ours!).

The film “Hope Springs” breaks one of Hollywood’s taboos about older people having sex.  In the main, sex scenes involve bright young thing’s body doubles.  Age UK has even looked into this, the Charity’s Director General, Michelle Mitchell says: “Our research has shown that while advertisers and the media promote sexualised representations of younger people, sex and older age is widely viewed as a taboo subject…We found that many people are often reluctant to even acknowledge that sexuality in older age exists.”

Better2Know tests can test for herpes using three different methods.  Your Better2Know doctor will help you decide which one of these methods is the best for you.  All our tests differentiate between Herpes Type I (Herpes Simplex I – HSVI) and Herpes Type II (Herpes Simples II – HSVII).  Usually type I is found as cold sores around the mouth, and type II are cold sores around the genitals, but oral sex can mean that either type can be found in either place.

The number of gay men having an HIV test in Scotland has increased significantly.  The percentage of men who identified themselves as gay who have had an HIV test increased from 27% to 57% from 2000 to 2010.  This is encouraging alongside an increase in gay men who saw testing as “the community norm” which is an important change in attitude.

Untreated syphilis can cause a loss of hearing with a condition called “otosyphilis” which causes hearing loss but can be reversible.  If a patient tests positive for syphilis and has no other reason for lost hearing, then this condition can be considered, and has been studied by Dr Daniel Bradshaw at the University of New South Wales, Australia.

A new study by the Department of Health Behaviour in the United States has looked at whether condoms prevent non-viral STIs.  A non-viral STI includes: Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis,  ureaplasma and mycoplasma.