Sexually Transmitted Infections Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are bacteria, viruses and parasites which can be passed from person to person through a variety of sexual activities. Some STIs can be transmitted in other ways as well i.e. through sharing needles or crack pipes. While it is important to be aware of the symptoms and possible complications of STIs, it is also important to acknowledge that all STIs are treatable even if they are not all curable. There is often a great deal of stigma associated with having an STI and as a result, people are often afraid of getting tested for fear that they will be negatively labeled; moreover, many people contract and transmit STIs without even knowing they have one. This is extremely problematic because the longer you have an STI the more likely it is that serious complications will occur. When an STI is found in an early stage, complications can often be completely avoided. Sexually Transmitted Infections Versus Sexually Transmitted Diseases You may be more familiar with the term sexually transmitted disease (STD) and wonder why the term sexually transmitted infection is being used here. STIs and STDs are, in fact, the same thing. In recent years, the term STI has been used more and more in Canada. Before the term STD, the term venereal disease (VD) was used. There are a couple of reasons why the term infection is being used instead of disease. For one, people tend to associate the term disease with something permanent or chronic. While some STIs are chronic, many can be cured and all of them can be treated. Therefore, STI is a more accurate and less stigmatizing term. As well, the term infection also encompasses those STIs which often do not have any symptoms. Who can get Sexually Transmitted Infections? Anyone who is sexually active is at risk of contracting an STI. There are common myths, which are becoming less prevalent now about who contracts STIs. One such myth is that only people who have many sexual partners get STIs. This could not be farther from the truth. STIs do not discriminate from one person to the next. In fact, many people who engage in a series of monogamous relationships (being in a relationship with one person at a time) contract STIs. Often people will contract an STI from one relationship and pass it on to another person in a subsequent relationship. Another common myth is that you can tell when your sexual partner has an STI because their genitals will look or seem different. While some STIs can have visible symptoms, many do not. Symptoms can also come and go at different times. You cannot tell if your partner has an STI simply by looking at their penis, vulva or anus. While anyone can get an STI, it is important to note that a disproportionate amount of STI cases occur in youth under the age of 30. There are several factors that may contribute to this. Some of these factors may include lower amounts of condom use, higher numbers of sexual partners, lack of adequate sexual health information in schools and fear of getting tested. How can I prevent myself from getting a Sexually Transmitted Infection? While it is not possible to prevent 100% against sexually transmitted infections, unless you abstain from any sort of activity that can transmit STIs, there are ways to greatly reduce your risk of contracting one. • You can use latex or polyurethane condoms every time you have vaginal or anal sex • You can use condoms for oral sex performed on a penis. Condoms come in all kinds of different flavours, which can enhance pleasure. You can also purchase flavoured lubricants (if using a latex condom, make sure you don’t use an oil based lubricant) • You can use dental dams (purchased separately or made out of a condom) for oral sex on a vulva or anus. • You can get tested every 3-6 months for STIs, so that if you do have an STI you and your partner(s) can get prompt treatment. • You can talk to your partner about safer sex and how you will reduce the risk of getting STIs. • You can avoid having sex with your partner if they are experiencing an outbreak of herpes or genital warts. Wait until the outbreak has been treated and warts and sores are no longer present. How can I get tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections? STIs differ in how they are tested for. You may be worried that getting tested will be invasive, uncomfortable or even painful. Men, in particular, often worry that testing will involve having a painful swab taken from the urethra (tube that expels urine and semen). Testing for men is in actuality, often simpler than testing for women. Swabs to test for gonorrhea and chlamydia in men have, for the most part, been replaced by urine tests. Urine tests are occasionally used on women but they are not as accurate because women’s vaginal secretions and urine come out of separate openings. Thus for women, a swab of the vagina is usually taken and sent to a lab for testing. Some STIs require blood tests and others can be detected through a simple physical examination. Below, is a list of sexually transmitted infections that you can click on to find out more information on symptoms, transmission, testing and treatment. Bacterial Sexually Transmitted Infections Bacterial sexually transmitted infections can be treated and cured with the use of antibiotics but can often lead to serious permanent complications if not detected and treated on time. Many of these infections have no symptoms or symptoms may be so mild that you are not aware that you have an STI. Chlamydia Gonorrhea Syphilis Viral Sexually Transmitted Infections Viral sexually transmitted infections cannot be cured. Some of the viral STIs can stay in a person’s body for life. There are treatments available for all of the viral STIs, which can reduce and control symptoms. For people who have a chronic STI, a big and often difficult lifestyle adjustment is often needed after the diagnosis. It is important to emphasize, however, that people living with a chronic STI, such as HIV, can and do continue to have fulfilling lives including a regular sex life. Genital Herpes Hepatitis B Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Parasitic Sexually Transmitted Infections (Infestations) Parasitic sexually transmitted infections can be cured with over the counter lotions, shampoos and in the case of trichomoniasis, antibiotics. Often infestations are passed through infested towels, bedding or clothing. They are extremely easy to pass through sexual activity. Pubic lice (crabs) Scabies Trichomoniasis Where can I be tested for a sexually transmitted infection? How can I be sure that I won’t be judged when I go for testing? Testing for sexually transmitted infections can be done at a doctor’s office, walk-in clinic or sexual health clinic. The Canadian Federation for Sexual Health has members located throughout Canada, many of which have clinics which test and treat for STIs. All of the members are youth friendly, confidential and non-judgemental. If your local member does not have a clinic, you can still contact them to find out where you can go for testing. For the member’s page: http://cfsh.ca/ppfc/find.asp It is often difficult to know for sure whether your family doctor or local walk-in clinic will be non-judgemental or friendly and supportive to young people. If you are not sure what to expect, here are some ways that may help to alleviate some of the anxiety you may be experiencing over getting tested: • Call the clinic ahead of time to make sure that they provide STI testing. Try to get a sense of the person on the other end of the phone. If the person is friendly and open to answering your questions, there is a good chance that the other staff members at the clinic are also friendly. • If you have access to the internet, try to find a website for the clinic. If there is, see if there is any information on their values or mission. For instance, a clinic may advertise on its website that it is youth friendly. You can also see if there are testimonials from current or past clients on the site. • Ask the clinic ahead of time if they welcome youth to their facility. This is a very direct way of getting an answer to your question. • If you and your partner are both comfortable with each other and communicate openly, you may consider getting tested together. This way you are both there to support one another. • If you have a trusted friend that you feel comfortable with, you may want to bring them with you to get tested. They can provide you with support or you may decide to get tested together. While these are all suggestions that can help you get over the fear of getting tested, everyone’s reality is very different. For people who live in rural or remote areas, access to any sort of sexual health services can be scarce or non-existent. It can also be hard, if you are worried about your parents or others finding out about you getting tested, if this is not something you don’t want. Also, traveling can be both time consuming and expensive. Canadians for Choice believes that all Canadians should have access to a full range of sexual and reproductive health services including STI testing and treatment regardless of age and is committed to raising awareness about these issues. Resources Used All of the content for this section was created through the expert knowledge of the authors in tandem with information the following websites: 1. Sexualityandu A website of the Society of Obstetricians & Gynaecologist of Canada http://sexualityandu.ca/home_e.aspx 2. Health Canada’s Website Diseases & Conditions Section http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/dc-ma/sti-its/index_e.html 3. The Canadian Federation for Sexual Health http://www.cfsh.ca