If looks could kill…

If looks could kill you’d be six feet under. You just had to have her, literally, and so you did. Now you’ve woken up in a haze of last night’s alcohol and are basking in the physical satisfaction of the tremendous night before. You shower, you leave, no numbers exchanged, just another one night stand; another notch on the bed post and a bundle of explicit stories to share with the man dem’ later that night. And then it happens, a few little nasties start making their home in your groin. You shot and scored, but unlucky for you, she shot you too.

You’ve only got to glance at the list of sexually transmitted infections, which are rising in the UK at a horrific rate amongst our age group, to imagine the pain and sometimes permanent damage which accompany them. It’s serious people. The situation is so bad that clinics are struggling to cope with the numbers of infected youths coming through their doors.  

At the extreme end is HIV, a killer, and please don’t make the mistake of burying your head in the sand with the belief that it’s still a gay disease: the highest number of new diagnoses is among heterosexuals. South London now has the highest rate of HIV positive people in Europe. Shocking stuff.

Statistics show that the number of people contracting infections like chlamydia (which can leave women infertile and often has no symptoms), herpes (which is impossible to cure and means you’ll develop attractive blisters and sores around your genitals) and gonorrhoea (discharge and pain when passing urine) have increased by 50 per cent in the last ten years. So serious is the problem it has now become a parliamentary issue. Former UK health secretary John Reid announced proposals for a £300 million campaign to tackle the problem and stressed “We need to act now on sexual health - and make it a priority.” In typical government fashion, the proposal never actually came to fruition, which is crazy and sad because the numbers of people affected by sexual diseases are rising, and there’s no sign of it slowing down.

So why is our generation so hedonistic? Even if you aren’t sleeping around with numerous sexual partners you need to sit up and listen. ‘Cause the guy with herpes doesn’t come sign posted, and even if his lower regions seem clear of dodgy blisters that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the disease, it just means he isn’t currently having a break out. Life’s a bitch, because in an ideal world playing safe and sticking to one sexual partner and actually valuing sex as the intimate act between two grown people that it is, should be rewarded with a ‘get out the STI clinic free’ card. No such luck, because when you sleep with someone, you’re effectively sleeping with all of their previous lays as well, and let’s face it, there are some less than wholesome men and women on the prowl out there. What this means is that you could actually be stung on your very first sexual experience if you aren’t smart enough to use a condom.

It goes without saying that keeping your sex life strictly between you and your partner goes a long way to limiting the threat of contracting one of the ugly infections that threatens to blight your future and potentially ruin your life, but if you can’t be good, then at least be careful and take heed of some of the nasties lurking in the pants of the chick/fella by the bar.

ü CHLAMYDIA: One in ten 16 to 24 year olds has it, and it’s one of the most common sexually transmitted infections in Britain. Most people who have chlamydia don’t know they have it. It won’t go away by itself – a course of antibiotics will usually do the trick – but don’t leave it too long: it can cause women to become infertile. That’s right, catch this disease ladies and it could mean you are never able to have children. Scary stuff.

ü GENITAL HERPES: It usually starts with a tingling or itching in your nether regions followed by the appearance of small, painful blisters. It might make you feel like you’ve got the flu, give you a head ache, a back ache and make you cry out in pain when you urinate. Oh and there is no cure, which means unless you’re disgusting enough to continue sleeping around without protection and infecting your unsuspecting partners, you’ll have to explain you’re a life long herpes carrier with anyone you intend to have sex with. Ouch.

ü PUBIC LICE: These need no introduction. They’re small crab-like creatures that live in the pubic hair and cause extreme itching. Left untreated they can spread to other parts of the body including the chest hair and…. your eyelashes! Ugghh.

ü GORNORRHOEA: Women aged 16-24 and men aged 20-24 are most at risk from this close relation but less severe cousin of chlamydia. Most women do not have symptoms but men tend to get a discharge from the penis and burning pain on passing urine. Antibiotics can cure this infection. In 2005, black Caribbean men accounted for 18% of all gonorrhoea diagnoses.

∑ SYPHILIS: Like flares and knee high socks this disease was big in the Sixties and Seventies and now thanks to the promiscuity of us Eighties and Nineties babies, it’s enjoying a revival. It’s more common in men than women, but this disease, which once killed people in epidemic proportions, can be passed from an infected mother to her unborn child. Caught in the early stages syphilis can be treated by a two week course of antibiotics. Without treatment you can expect small brown sores which may spread over the palms of your hands and soles of your feet, a fever and swollen glands, hair loss and eventually serious damage to the heart, brain, joints, bones, eyes and nervous system, resulting in blindness, paralysis, mental illness and heart disease. This stage can last for years and can result in death.

ü HIV: The demon of all sexually transmitted infections, it’s the fastest growing serious health condition in the UK and it’s estimated that 70,000 people are living with it – a third of whom don’t know they have the disease. Forty three percent of all new diagnoses in 2005 were in London, most of whom were heterosexual. The disease infects white blood cells which normally help us fight off infection. As the immune system is attacked the body is less able to protect itself. This can turn into AIDS when you can no longer fight off infection. There is no cure for HIV, but treatment can keep the virus under control for many years. HIV-related deaths have claimed over 25 million lives since the discovery of the virus in 1981.

If warts, blisters, discharge, the possibility of an early death, oh and can’t forget the crawling creatures, aren’t enough to put you off sloppy sex, then perhaps the life-long responsibility of a baby with someone you don’t love might be a deterrent? Numbers of teen mums are on the increase. Britain now has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Europe (coupled nicely with having Europe’s highest rate of HIV) with 40,000 teenagers giving birth each year at a cost of £63 million to the taxpayer. Your adventurous sex life will be straight out the window once you’ve got a baby in tow, and stretch marks and a post baby tum go some way to quell the passion. And guys, you don’t get off lightly either: you might escape the physical markings of a nine month pregnancy, but you’ll feel the pinch in your pocket as a pack of nappies cost the equivalent of two brandies and cokes, and if you think you can get away without financially supporting your child’s mother then look forward to some harshly worded red letters from the Child Support Agency.  

So how can you avoid unwanted babies, genital lurgies and a possible death sentence hanging over your head? It’s simple: use a condom. Other methods of contraception are great for stopping you getting pregnant, but they don’t stop the nasties.

If you’re in doubt, get it checked out. Your good health (and that of your partner(s)) has got to be worth an hour’s embarrassment at the clinic. The lovely people at one of the Brook centres, your local GP or a family planning clinic can advise you of the best method’s of protecting yourself. Ignore at your peril. Life and its carnal pleasures are for enjoying, but hey, be smart and stay safe.

admin@brookcentres.org.uk
Brook helpline: 0800 0185 023
For information on key sexual health issues any time of the day or night call the 24 hour info line on 0207 950 7700

www.fpa.org.uk – The Family Planning Association. Lots of information on sexual health, contraception and keeping yourself healthy.