When we engage in lustful sex, more often than not we are emotionally driven by how hot the person is and how horny we are feeling.
In these circumstances rational thinking processes can be somewhat limited. Occasionally we acquire sexually transmissible infections (STIs).
Using condoms all the time will protect against HIV but they don’t protect against all STIs. Usually you know if you have an STI because the symptoms create discomfort.
For instance, gonorrhea may produce a clear or yellow discharge from the dick and pain or burning when urinating. However gonorrhea may not have any symptoms, particularly if it is in the rectum.
People can also have an STI such as herpes and not have symptoms. There is no morality attached to viruses, bacteria, parasites or fungi.
They do not have a sense of whether you are a good or bad person or whether you are having sex once or 1,000 times. So newbies get STIs just as easily as the more sexually experienced members of our community.
There are many benefits to regular STI testing.
First and foremost you can have confidence that when you engage sexually with others that you are as clear from having STIs as possible, reducing potential pain and discomfort to yourself and your partners.
By regular testing and treatment you also reduce the number of STIs circulating in our community. Having an STI increases your vulnerability to acquiring HIV if you come into contact with it. So by decreasing the STI load in our community we are reducing everybody’s risk of acquiring STIs and HIV which benefits everyone who engages in sex.
I am very proud that WA has a low prevalence of HIV in Australia and consequently the world. From time to time we get HIV and STI diagnosis spikes in our community.
Early prevention, early testing and early treatment help to keep these spikes contained and low. Regular testing also builds trust in our community, as it’s an easy way to demonstrate care for each other.
People with HIV already test more regularly for STI’s than most.
Whether you are HIV positive or HIV negative, the aim of sexual health services in WA is to provide access to education on risk reduction practices, regular testing and early treatment.
Recently the WA Department of Health has provided funding to the WA AIDS Council to manage a new Men’s Sexual Health Clinic in McCourt Street, West Leederville.
The clinic will be accessible during regular business hours as well as some after hours services.
Like WAAC’s Perth Steamwork’s Sauna Clinic and the FLASH Clinic in West Perth (which operates during the week and Saturday mornings), the service will provide comprehensive, bulk billed STI screening and testing in a confidential, non judgemental environment.
In addition the new clinic will also provide STI treatment and follow-up. WAAC will be providing more information on this new clinic in the weeks to come.
Some of our community’s members, like me, may have HIV (a permanent STI). However together we can keep curable STIs to a minimum which increases our pleasure, when having sex, to a maximum.
Cipri Martinez
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