'At Cambridge Family Planning Service Clinic we have
information about sexual infections and how to
avoid them - if you are worried, ask us for advice
or why not get yourself 'checked out'
at Clinic 1A (GUM clinic) at Addenbrooke's'
See also the shac website
Who gets sexual infections?
Anyone who is having sex can get a sexual infection (sometimes
called sexually transmitted infections STI).
The risk of actually getting an infection can, however, be greatly
reduced by always using (male or female) condoms (barrier
methods).
Some warning signs in men:
-
Having a discharge from your penis;
-
Experiencing pain or a burning feeling when you pass urine;
-
Feeling you need to pass urine more frequently than usual;
-
Having painful testicles;
-
Having itching, rashes, lumps, blisters or pain in your genital
area.
Some warning signs in women:
-
Having an unusually thick or watery, cloudy or smelly discharge
from the vagina.
-
Experiencing pain or a burning feeling when you pass urine;
-
Feeling you need to pass urine more frequently than usual;
-
Having itching, rashes, sores, blisters or pain in the genital
area.
Will I always have symptoms?
Some sexual infections have no symptoms. Sometimes, the symptoms
get better on their own, but the infection is still there and
is able to affect your health and be passed on to a sexual partner.
When should I be checked out for sexual infections?
If you have any of the symptoms listed above, or if you know
you have taken a risk by having unprotected sex (even if you have
no symptoms), you should get checked out as soon as possible,
at a genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic.
Where can I get checked out in Cambridge?
The Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) Clinic at Addenbrooke's is Clinic
1A. As part of Clinic 1A, there is also a special clinic for young
people shac (the sexual health advice centre).
More information about Clinic 1A
and shac is available
on their websites.
Are all infections in the genital area caught during sex?
Not all infections in the genital area are passed on during sex.
The staff at Clinic 1A and shac are experts in testing for and
treating all the infections and conditions that can affect this
part of the body - whatever the cause. So, if you have a problem,
don't be shy and embarrassed, give them a ring and book an appointment.
Although the situation you are in might be unusual for you, it
is what they do all day, every day.
Is it a good idea to be checked out at the start of a new relationship?
At the start of a new relationship, many people go to Clinic
1A to be checked out for infections. This is useful if either
of you has had sex with anyone else, even if that was some time
ago.
I am worried about HIV/AIDS - where should I go for advice
and testing?
Clinic 1A is also the place
to go if you are worried about HIV/AIDS. They can give you information,
explore your fears, and arrange for you to have a test.
If I go to a GUM clinic - who will find out?
All consultations at GUM clinics such as Clinic
1A and shac are confidential. Your notes are kept separate
from other hospital notes.
Also on this website
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