Sexual Health

Pregnancy is not the only thing to be concerned about if you are sexually active. You are at risk for pregnancy about 3 days a month (around ovulation). But you are at risk for getting an STD (sexually transmitted disease) every time you have sex. It is possible that your sexual activity could put you at risk for contracting an infection.

An STI (sexually transmitted infection) is an invasion of and multiplication in bodily tissue by a microorganism (infection) that is usually passed from one person to another through sexual activity. An STD is pathology (damage to tissue) with or without symptoms secondary to an infection passed from one person to another during sexual activity.

Not all infected people will have signs or symptoms. In fact, some STDs can cause damage and be passed to your partner without your knowledge. You do not have to have symptoms to be contagious; you can spread an infection at any time.

What is he best way to avoid an STI/STD? Avoid sexual activity if you are single. Be faithful to one uninfected partner for the rest of your life. Already had sex? See a doctor and get checked.

The following is information about some STIs. For more information, please visit the Medical Institute.

Chlamydia
Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI. You get it from having sex with an infected person. Babies can get it from their mothers during childbirth. Although most infected people have no symptoms, they can still pass on chlamydia. This infection can also be passed on during oral or anal sex.

Symptoms include pain when going to the bathroom or a a "discharge" coming from your penis or vagina. If you are a female, you may have abdominal pain. This could be from pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) caused by chlamydia. This infection also increases your risk of getting HIV,

Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. Delayed treatment can result in serious problems. Both you and your partner must be treated.

If you always use a condom for vaginal sex, you can cut your chance of getting chlamydia by about half. And there is some evidence that if you always use condoms for anal sex, you can reduce your chance of rectal chlamydia. However, at this point, there is no evidence that condoms reduce your chance of getting chlamydia during oral sex.

HPV (Human Papilloma Virus)
HPV is a very common viral STI. You get HPV from having sex with an infected person. You can also get it from just "fooling around." Babies can get it from their mothers during childbirth. Although most infected people have no symptoms, they can still pass on HPV. This infection can also be passed during oral and anal sex.

Symptoms may include warts (usually in the genital area). People with HPV can get cervical, vaginal, penile, anal or oral cancer. Babies who get the infection from their mothers can get warts in their throats.

Most people with HPV infection clear it on their own. However, some will develop warts or cancer. Warts can be treated, but may return. A Pap test for females can detect changes caused by HPV before they turn into cancer. Abnormal Pap tests and cervical cancer can be treated. The earlier you are treated, the more likely you are to be cured. All sexually active females should talk to a doctor about when to start having regular Pap tests.

If you always use a condom for vaginal sex, you can cut your chance of getting HPV by up to 70%. So far, there is not evidence that condoms reduce your risk of getting HPV during oral or anal sex.

HPV vaccine is recommended for young women. However, vaccination does not protect against all types of HPV that cause cancer and warts. How long the vaccine works is unknown.

HIV / AIDS

HIV is a virus that invades the immune system and slowly destroys it. This reduces your ability to fight off infections and cancer. Without treatment, people with HIV develop AIDS, which is fatal. You can get HIV from having sex with an infected person. Some infected people have no symptoms. But, even without symptoms, they can pass on HIV. You can also get HIV from contact with infected blood. Your risk is greatly increased if you have multiple sex partners or shoot drugs. Babies can get it from their mothers during pregnancy or childbirth. You can't get HIV from casual contact such as shaking hands or hugging. Anal sex is extremely risky for passing HIV. HIV can probably be passed during oral sex.

At first, you will probably have brief flu-like symptoms (tiredness, fever, aches). You may have no other symptoms for years. Even with no symptoms, you can still pass on the disease during sex. If you go on to get AIDS, you may get cancers or multiple infections that other people fight off easily.

If you have HIV, you can prolong your life by taking daily medicine for the rest of your life. However, the drugs are expensive and have significant side effects. If you are pregnant, there are very good drugs to reduce your baby's chance of getting HIV. You should also talk to your doctor about other precautions for your baby.

Condoms work pretty well, but not perfectly, for reducing your chance of getting HIV during vaginal sex. If you always use condoms for vaginal sex, you can cut your chance of getting HIV by about 85%. However, this still leaves you with a significant chance of getting HIV. To date, there is no evidence that condoms reduce your chance of getting HIV during oral sex. However, there is some evidence that always using condoms for anal sex may cut your chance of getting HIV by up to half.

This information is intended for general educational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical advice.

Source: Medical Institute

For more information: U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention

For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call us at (603) 528.3121. This center does not offer abortion services or abortion referrals.