Skilled Migrant Professionals Spring 2016 | Page 40
Lifestyle
Let’s Talk About Sex...
of these infections are preventable and curable but, if not
detected early and treated properly, are associated with
a range of complications in both infants and adults.
Long-term complications include pelvic inflammatory
disease, infertility in both males and females, miscarriages and still births. Most worrying, however, is that
many of these STIs are associated with HIV transmission, which means if you have an STI, you are at a higher
risk of contracting HIV.
The reality is, unless we know our own STI profile and that of the
person/people we are coupling with, we are bound to pick up one of
the germs listed above. People who are at the most at risk of contracting an STI include those who don’t use condoms during sex and those
who have many partners. Although, anyone can get an STI, even
those who don’t not perceive themselves to be at high risk. The best
way to protect yourself is to test for STIs, which can usually be done
through your local general practitioner (GP) or at a sexual health clinic.
Most tests are a simple urine, swab or blood test and are often free.
There are plenty of resources on the Internet to find more information about STIs, their signs and symptoms, complications, prevention
and treatment. A great resource for those who want to get a free test
without having to see a GP is www.couldihaveit.com.au.
By
Barbara Nattabi,
Senior Lecturer and
NHMRC Research
Fellow UWA
OKAY, LET’S TALK ABOUT sexually transmitted infections instead,
but I got your attention, didn’t I?
It’s not that I am against sex or anything. In fact, I am all for great,
lively, orgasmic, but SAFE sex. Unfortunately, however, when we have
sex, there’s a possibility that we may contract or transmit a virus, bacterium, protozoa or a parasite to another person. Sexually transmitted
infections (STIs) caused by bacteria include chlamydia, gonorrhoea,
and syphilis. While viral STIs include genital herpes, genital warts, human papilloma viruses, HIV and Hepatitis B. Other STIs include trichomoniasis and parasites such as pubic lice, genital scabies and crabs.
Chlamydia is the most commonly notified STI in Australia, with more
than 80,000 cases in 2014. Gonorrhoea came second in the same
year at more than 15,000 cases and there were just under 2,000 cases
of syphilis.
Signs and symptoms of STIs include unusual discharges from the
genitals, pain on urination or during sex, as well as sores, warts and
lumps on the genitals. As we have become more adventurous with
!
Protect yourself
• Test regularly and ask your partners to test
• Use condoms
our sex lives, most STIs, which used to be confined to the genital regions, have now found their way to other body parts. This means that
someone can present with a sore throat due to a chlamydia or gonorrhoea infection; a syphilis chancre on their lips following oral sex;
or inflammation of the anal canal. It is important to note, however,
that up to 80 per cent of chlamydia and some cases of gonorrhoea
are asymptomatic, which means there are no symptoms at all. So, the
only way to know if you have an STI is to test for it. Fortunately, most
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www.smpmagazine.com.au | Spring 2016
Common known STIs
• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhoea
• Genital warts
• HIV
• Syphilis
Common complications of STIs
• Infertility (both males and females)
• Pelvic inflammatory disease and chronic pelvic pain
• Miscarriages and still births
• Urethral stricture in men
• Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate gland)
• Epididymo-orchitis (inflammation of the epididymis and testes)
STI
NOTIFICATIONS
IN 2014
86,136 cases of chlamydia
15,786 cases of gonorrhoea
1,999 cases of syphilis
1,081 cases of HIV
Good resources on the Internet:
www.couldihaveit.com.au
http://www.couldihaveit.com.au/Find-a-clinic
(to find a sexual health clinic near you)
http://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Healthy-living/Sexual-health
http://www.healthywa.wa.gov.au/Health-conditions/Sexually-transmitted-infections
http://www.sti.guidelines.org.au/