Caitríona Henchion (pictured)
Medical Director, Irish Family Planning Association
If you are sexually active, regular STI screening is important. STIs can cause long-term problems, such as infertility and you could pass an infection on to someone else. Testing is easy and all STIs can be treated.
How do I get an STI?
STIs are passed on through sexual contact: e.g. vaginal or anal intercourse, genital to genital skin contact, oral to genital or anal contact.
The risk of an STI is increased by having more sexual partners. But it’s possible to get an infection the first time you have sex if your partner has had any previous partner.
How can I protect myself from infection?
The risk of infection is significantly reduced by using male condoms and dental dams during sex. However, no method provides 100% protection: infections such as wart virus, herpes virus and syphilis can be passed by skin contact.
If you are sexually active, get tested regularly. If you are diagnosed with an STI, it is important to inform any recent sexual partners.
How do I know I have an STI?
Only by getting tested can you know if you have an STI, as many people have no symptoms following infection. Symptoms can include lumps, sores, ulcers or blisters in the genital area or mouth, vaginal or anal discharge, needing to pass urine more often, stinging or burning when passing urine, pressure or pain in the lower abdomen, discharge from the urethra (where the urine comes out) and pain in the testicles.
How do I get tested and treated?
Most GPs and sexual health clinics provide screening for STIs. Free testing is available from GUIDE or GUM Clinics.
Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis can be cured with antibiotics. Antiviral treatment for HIV can now reduce the viral load to the point where a person is healthy and well and will not transmit the virus to a partner.
Hepatitis can also be fully cured. The body’s immune system will clear wart virus, but treatments such as freezing can speed this up. Herpes virus remains in the body, but outbreaks are treatable with antiviral drugs and usually become less painful and less frequent over time.
If you are sexually active, get tested regularly. If you are diagnosed with an STI, it is important to inform any recent sexual partners.
If a past or current partner tells you that they have an STI, attend a doctor for testing and treatment. It may not be welcome news, but it will help you protect your health.
Visit HSE’s sexual wellbeing page.
Because of the COVID-19 outbreak and social distancing guidelines, the IFPA has had to cut back on some of our services, including routine STI screening, but we can still provide testing and treatment if you have symptoms. Check our Twitter, Facebook and website (www.ifpa.ie) for updates. While the crisis continues, it’s more important than ever to look after your sexual health and protect yourself from exposure to STIs. Why not include a routine STI screen on your list of things to do when life gets back to normal?
