April Is About STI Awareness

It’s springtime in the high desert! The bees are buzzing, and the birds have come to nest and lay eggs. April is Sexually Transmitted Infection Awareness Month. Right, it’s time for us to discuss everyone’s favorite topic.

STIs can be prevented, they are not inevitable. Having said that, when someone gets an STI, it’s nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about. It does not make a person ‘dirty’ or ‘unclean,’ it means they got an STI that is either curable or treatable. To truly know whether you have one you’ll need a test, and if you’re sexually active, you can make STI testing part of your annual physical and lab work.

STIs can be asymptomatic, meaning you can have one and not know, whether you’re male or female. So the hook-up conversation that people often have, the old “I know I don’t have anything, do you?” does not work. The only way to know is to get tested. If you are sexually active with multiple partners, we recommend you get tested quarterly and know your status. The sooner you’re diagnosed, the better your outcome with any STI.

Unprotected sex is the most common way of acquiring an infection, but some people get them without having sex at all. Do you get cold sores, or know and love someone who does? Cold sores or fever blisters are expressions of the herpes simplex I virus. Most who have this virus got it as a child, when they were told to go and kiss aunt or uncle so-and-so, or as infants being passed around for people to snuggle and kiss. We find herpes simplex II (genital herpes) around some people’s mouths, from unprotected oral sex, kissing, cunnilingus, fellatio or analingus. Once someone has HSV I or II, they will have it for life. But there are effective medications to suppress these viruses in the body.

Hepatitis B and hepatitis C are both viral STIs. You can get a vaccine to prevent hepB, but there is no cure. With hepC there is a cure, but no vaccine. These STIs can go undetected for years and cause complications in your liver.

Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis are all curable bacterial infections. In Arizona last year there were 38,175 reported cases of chlamydia, 13,130 of gonorrhea and 3,262 of syphilis. I emphasize ‘reported’ because some are never reported to health departments, and some where the folks may not have had symptoms or received treatment.

HIV is a virus and it is treatable, but there is no vaccine or cure. Once considered a death sentence, today people engaged in treatment live long lives with HIV. June 5 is our Long-Term Survivors Awareness day. This could be renamed ‘Long-Term Thriver’s Day.’ When an HIV-positive person has an undetectable viral load, they cannot transmit the virus: U=U, undetectable = untransmittable. The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease followed 2,600 serodiscordant couples, (one person HIV-positive and the other negative) for ten years. They had all kinds of sex, and if the HIV-positive partner had an undetectable viral load, they never transmitted the virus to the other.

With regular testing you can get quick treatment. For HIV prevention we offer PrEP and PEP. PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) are safe and effective medications to prevent HIV. Northland Cares offers these services at both our Cottonwood and Prescott offices.

The simplest way to prevent STIs is condoms and lube. We offer condoms in every color, size, shape and flavor. There are specialty condoms. For example, we have one called the Pleasure Dome, specifically designed for males with large-glans penises, or ‘mushroom caps.’ This has the extra girth necessary for a comfortable fit. There are also internal/female condoms that can be placed inside for protection. Part of this condom hangs out for easy removal. You have to put them on correctly for them to work properly. All our condoms are free to the public.

This month Northland Cares is hosting a Condom Connoisseur Contest. Stop by an office or testing event and pick up a pack of condoms. A QR code in the packet will take you to a site to give us feedback on the condoms, their performance and how you rate them. Each pack has ten condoms in different styles, flavors, fit and color. This feedback helps us with education and knowing what people prefer. By entering you have the chance to win a $25.00 Fry’s gift card!

Our Outreach Department also offers sexual-health education and harm-reduction services. Please join us in reducing the stigma surrounding sexual-health education, treatment and STIs. Having an STI is not a reflection of a person’s character or worth. They are communicable and common to every human community.

This is Hedda Fay reminding you that sex is a part of the human experience and an important part of your overall health and wellbeing. Resources are available to prevent the spread of STIs.

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