‘Respect and protect’: Limerick charity’s main message for Shag week

A SEXUAL health awareness charity in Limerick city has said their main message this week is “respect, protect” when it comes to consent and contraception.

As couples prepare for possible intimate Valentine’s Day celebrations this Thursday, Davis Street-based Goshh (gender, orientation, sexual health, HIV) is joining the nationwide Shag Week (sexual health awareness and guidance) campaign to highlight positive sexual wellbeing.

And endorsing that message this week is Goshh sexual health project worker, Grainne Woulfe, who has been working in the area in Limerick for the past eight years.

“It’s about respecting your partner and communicating with your partner and also protecting yourself by using a condom,” she told the Limerick Leader on Tuesday, the start date of Shag Week.

Positive sexual health is not just about staying protected, but it’s also about being conscious of prevention and treatment, as well as being aware of the various infectious diseases out there.

And the Limerick Leader has access to figures that show just how safe Limerick couples have been in recent years.

The most common infectious disease in Limerick—and nationwide—is chlamydia. Between 2013 and 2017, there were 1,746 reported cases of the bacterial infection in Limerick.

Worryingly, of the four years, 2017 saw the highest figure of those five years with 410 cases, and was the only year to see the figure exceed 400.

In fact, the rate is so high, it is higher than the number of flu and winter vomiting bug cases combined (1,208 cases between them).

On the long list infectious diseases, genital warts is number two, ahead of the flu. Though the figure has dropped from 303 in 2013 to 168 in 2017, there were still 1,054 cases between 2013 and 2017.

While gonorrhoea is not high up on the list, there were still 274 cases in the same time period. Genital herpes saw 264 cases.

Unlike the flu or norovirus, the vast majority of sexually-transmitted infections (STIs) are asymptomatic, which means a patient may not experience symptoms for a long time, if at all.

And if a person has asymptomatic gonorrhoea and is untreated and undiagnosed, they are a health risk to their future partners. Not only can gonorrhoea be a painful experience for patients, it can also cause infertility.

Over the past eight years, Goshh worker Grainne says she has noticed a change in public mood on both contraception and consent, the latter issue mushrooming in recent times due to the widely popular #MeToo movement.

“There has been a lot of change, really, in the area of sexual health. People are starting to have more and more conversations around sexual health.

“They are starting to look after their sexual health more by getting tested, by using condoms. We provide free condoms here. We are seeing more and more people coming in to get the free condoms. In my role, I also provide a lot of training for people.

“Definitely, in recent times, there has been more conversations around consent and there have been more campaigns. I think the conversation is still continuing. There is a lot of talk still around it, around when does consent start, when do we start talking about consent? What does consent look like in a relationship?

“The use of condoms is the currently the best method to protect yourself from contracting a sexually-transmitted infection (STI). Not using one, couples run the risk of infection, which can lead to health risks if left untreated. And quite a number of STIs are asymptomatic, which is why couples should frequently get checked,” Ms Woulfe said.

There are a number of avenues in which people can avail of tests for STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, genital warts and HIV.

Goshh provides a rapid test for HIV, while family planning clinics and GP services can provide tests for STIs.

Tests can also be carried at the GUM (genitourinary medicine) clinic at University Hospital Limerick, which is currently restoring its services following three days of the nurses’ strike action.

A spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group said: “Appointments were cancelled on strike days last Tuesday and Thursday.   As routine check-ups are at capacity for this week, we were facilitating urgent appointments only. More routine appointments will be scheduled in coming weeks while services resume.

Appointments that were cancelled yesterday afternoon for today (Tuesday) were being rescheduled for this morning where possible including non-urgent. Services this week are resuming as much as possible.”

Here’s some useful information on the four aforementioned infections:

STI: Chlamydia

Type: Bacterial infection

Symptoms: Often no symptoms, but 50% of men will experience symptoms and 25% of women will. Men can experience diarrhoea, bleeding from back passage, pain when passing urine, discharge from penis. As for women, there could be bleeding after sex, bleeding between periods, pain when passing urine and change in vaginal discharge.

Causes: Generally unprotected sex, using unwashed sex toys, mother-to-baby delivery.

What doesn’t cause it? Hugging, kissing, swimming, sharing toilet seats.

Test: Vaginal swab, urinal swab, throat swab or rectal swab.

Treatment: Easily treated with antibiotics, often with a once-off dose.

STI: Gonorrhoea

Type: Bacterial infection, neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Symptoms: 10% of men have no symptoms, but can experience burning pain when passing urine and discharge from penis. 70% of women have no symptoms. Particularly in women, if untreated, it can lead to pelvic inflammation, ectopic pregnancies and, in rare cases, infertility.

Causes: Generally unprotected sex, using unwashed sex toys, mother-to-baby delivery.

What doesn’t cause it? Hugging, kissing, swimming, sharing toilet seats.

Test: For men, urine and swab is required. Women require a swab.

Treatment: Two doses of antibiotics; the first is usually injected into the bum muscle, and the second dose is taken orally. You will be asked to return for a repeat test.

STI: Genital warts

Type: Virus, caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV)

Symptoms: Flesh-coloured lumps or bumps on the skin, genital and anal area, and may not be noticed until weeks or even months after the skin contact.

Causes: Skin to skin contact and close genital contact, sharing towels, sharing cutlery.

What doesn’t cause it? Hugging, kissing, swimming, sharing toilet seats.

Test: Can be diagnosed by a doctor or nurse.

Treatment: Treatment can sometimes take months to work, which include creams and lotions at home, freezing therapy, and surgery in the event it is severe.

STI: Genital herpes

Type: Virus, caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV)

Symptoms: Many people who have it do not have know that they have it. But symptoms can be severe, and may appear between two and 12 days after coming into contact with the virus. Symptoms can include bumps or red spots in the genital area, which can be very painful, and these swellings can break open, cause ulcers and form crusts. You may also have swollen glands in the groin with flu-like symptoms.

Causes: Skin to skin contact, kissing, sex and sharing sex toys.

What doesn’t cause it? Sharing a towel, sharing a sauna, sharing toilet seat.

Test: Swab or/and blood test.

Treatment: Generally antiviral tablets.