Sex Education and Staying Safe: Know Your STDs

Sex. We like to think we’re educated, right? We know how to protect ourselves, we know what positions are perfect to get us straight into O-land and we know how to keep our other halves satisfied and happy between the sheets.

But so often we tend to overlook one of the fundamental areas of sex education. We figure “that will never happen to me!” so we’re happy to ignore it and get back to enjoying the horizontal tango.

Ladies, it’s time we educated ourselves about the one area of sex that no one wants to talk about. Eh, no, not that area. We mean STDs or sexually transmitted diseases, if you prefer.

While things have changed with regards to sex in Ireland in recent years, the stigma still remains when it comes to talking about STDs. They’re still labelled as being ‘shameful’ and because of this, so many of us don’t know the main STD culprits and what kind of symptoms we should be looking out for down there.

The following is not pretty, it’s not nice, but it could help you spot the signs and get the treatment you need sooner rather than later.

• Chlamydia: Chlamydia is one of the most common STDs in the world, with 92million new cases being reported every single year. It tends to infect women more than men and if left untreated, it can make you infertile.

Symptoms: Chlamydia is known as the ‘silent’ STD because many people experience no symptoms with it. However, if you notice any of the follow, make an appointment with your GP immediately: an increase in vaginal discharge, experiencing pain when you urinate, needing to urinate more frequently, pain or bleeding during/after sex, pains in the lower stomach and irregular periods.

It’s always a good idea to have an STD screening every 2 years at least, to make sure you’re okay and to catch ‘silent’ STDs like Chlamydia.

• Gonorrhoea: Like Chlamydia, it is possible for you to be infected with Gonorrhoea and have no symptoms. This STD affects more men than women and men are more likely to notice symptoms, whereas nearly half of women who are infected have none.

Symptoms: Changes in vaginal discharge – it may turn yellow or green and have a very strong smell, pain when urinating, irritation in the bottom area. For men, a white or yellow discharge from the penis is a tell-tale symptom.

• Herpes: There are two strains of the herpes virus. HSV-1 is passed through oral contact, and this is the same virus that causes cold sores. HSV-2 is passed on during sex and this causes genital herpes. Only around 25 per cent of people who have genital herpes are actually aware of the disease. This is because in most cases, people have no symptoms at all. Because of this people who don’t know they have the STD unknowingly pass it on to others.

Symptoms: If you do have symptoms, they will usually show up a week after exposure and last from 2 up to 4 weeks. The most common genital herpes symptoms are: itching and tingling sensations in the genital area, small blisters that burst and cause sores, pain when urinating, headaches, back pains and flu-like symptoms.

There is a common misconception that you can only catch herpes if your partner is currently having an outbreak. This is NOT TRUE. Herpes can be caught simply through skin on skin contact, whether the person is having an outbreak or not.

• Genital Warts: These are white or skin-coloured bumps and larger, cauliflower-like bumps that can appear anywhere in the genital area. Genital warts are caused by a strain of HPV and they usually appear 1-3months after you have been infected.

Symptoms: Small growths in the genital area like the ones described above, itching, and in some cases pain and discharge.

While it is virtually impossible to get rid of genital warts, your GP will be able to suggest some treatments that may help to lessen their appearance.

• Crabs: Sometimes called ‘pubic lice’ crabs are small, crab-shaped parasites that burrow into your skin and feed on your blood. They are attracted to areas that have coarse body hair, such as the genital region, although they can also be found in armpit hair, beards and, in rare cases, on eyelashes. The parasites themselves are a yellow-grey colour.

Crabs can be passed on during sex, but you can also catch them from sharing clothes, towels or a bed with someone who has them.

Symptoms: itchy skin, being swollen in the affect area, visible lice and eggs and spots of blood on the skin.

 

If you find yourself with any of the above symptoms, or if you’re worried about your sexual health then ladies, it’s time to pay your GP a visit.