Health

Let`s talk about SEX!

ALWAYS use protection, ALWAYS (condoms and dental dams available from the PSA Presidents office and the SU Welfare Officer). Whether you are lesbian, gay, bisexual or straight, you take the same risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Whatever embarrassment you might think messing with a condom causes, think of the consequences to your health that arise from not using one and it puts embarrassment in the shade. For more information on a large range of sexual health topics then please click the following link http://www.redribbonproject.com/

Protection

Condoms are the only form of contraception that protect against sexually transmitted infections. Besides abstinence, the best way to protect yourself from STIs is by using condoms. Condoms are readily available in most shops, chemists and also from the ULSU Welfare Office. We advise all individuals to use protection whether it being a condom, a dental dam. Nobody is entirely safe from risk.
Condoms are 95% effective when used with spermicide at protecting against AIDS and other STIs and preventing pregnancy. In terms of having sex: Always, always wear a condom is the same as never, ever, drink and drive for driving.

Contraceptives

The Combined Pill
* "The Pill" is 99.7% effective in preventing pregnancy
* May help women with irregular, heavy or painful periods or acne in some cases

However...
* It must be taken at the same time every day
* It must be prescribed by a doctor
* It is not effective if taken more than 12 hours late
* Offers no protection against AIDS, STIs and other infections

Emergency Contraception (Morning After Pill)
Treatment must begin within 72 hours of unprotected sex, but is more effective if taken within the first 12 hours. Two pills are taken initially and two more pills 12 hours later. The morning after pill is available on prescription from your doctor, the medical centre or family planning clinics

The morning after pill can be 95% effective

However...
* The effectiveness diminishes to 58% after 72 hours
* The pills can make you sick. If you vomit within two hours of taking the pills you need to take them again

Pregnancy

The easiest way to know if you are actually pregnant is to get a home pregnancy test. If your test results are positive then it is necessary to have them confirmed with your GP or a pregnancy agency or the UL Medical Centre.

If you are pregnant, it is a good idea to talk to somebody about your options. It is NOT the end of the world. The best resources are:

· PSA President (psapresident@ul.ie or 061-213473)

· UL Counselling (CM-072 drop in 11-12 and 3-4 daily or call 061- 202327 anytime)

· Irish Family Planning Association 1850-495051

· Limerick Family Planning Clinic 061-312026

· Crisis Pregnancy Services (www.positiveoptions.ie) freetext LIST to 50444

· Dublin Well Woman Centre 01-6609860

Sexually Transmitted Infections

Unfortunately, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) are on the rise. The latest figures show a 6.5% increase in infections, particularly Chlamydia and genital warts. This highlights the importance of wearing a condom for sex.

Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease. While Chlamydia can be easily cured with antibiotics, it can have severe consequences, particularly for women, if left untreated. Untreated Chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), entopic pregnancies and infertility.

Chlamydia generally has NO symptoms. If symptoms are present, they may include vaginal/penal discharge, pain or burning during urination, lower abdominal pain, spotting between periods and swelling or pain in the testicles.

Genital Warts

Warts are a common infection and a considerable nuisance. Treatment is long and slow and they may reoccur several times. Warts are associated with cancer of the neck of the womb; so annual smear tests should be done. Treatment is usually with lotion.

Pubic Lice / Crabs

"Crabs" can be caught by bodily contact with an infectious person or bedding/clothing used by that person. The lice mainly infect the pubic area and the bites can cause severe itching. The eggs, which stick to the pubic hair, take 5 days to hatch. Normal washing or lotions will not cure them, but there are special lotions and shampoos that kill both adult louse and egg.

Herpes
This is a common viral disease, which appears as sores. These sores may be inside the vagina, on external genitals, thighs or in or near the anus or on the buttocks. The sores can rupture to form open sores or ulcers, which can often be very painful. They usually appear within a few weeks, but they should be treated to ensure they are not the symptoms of another disease. There is no known cure for herpes but treatment can prevent further consequences. New eruptions can occur at any time and it often appears to relate to stress.

Gonorrhoea
Gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection sometimes called `the clap`. It can infect the genitals, urethra, rectum and throat. More rarely, it can affect the blood, skin, joints and eyes.

Symptoms in men can include a thick discharge from the penis, inflammation of the testicles, pain when urinating and irritation or discharge from the anus.

Symptoms in women include strong smelling vaginal discharge, pain when passing urine, irritation or discharge from the anus, low abdominal or pelvic tenderness.

Gonorrhoea in the early stages can be easily treated with antibiotics. However, untreated Gonorrhoea can lead to blocked fallopian tubes, long-term pelvic pain and ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy outside the womb) in women and painful and inflamed testicles, inflammation of the prostate gland and infertility in men.

HIV/AIDS
While the latest figures show a 10.8% decrease in new infections of HIV, 356 new cases were diagnosed in 2004. Forget what you think you know about AIDS and HIV; 3 times more heterosexual cases than homosexual cases of HIV were diagnosed last year. HIV/AIDS has become a young, heterosexual disease and universities are prime breeding ground for it. Promiscuity, drug and alcohol abuse and unsafe sex are contributing to the rise of HIV and AIDS in this country. THERE IS NO CURE FOR HIV/AIDS. If you are sexually active, proper use of condoms is the only way to keep yourself safe.

The only way to know if you have contracted HIV is by being tested. If you are sexually active, make it a habit to have regular HIV/STI tests. Testing is available from the Limerick Regional Hospital and the UL Medical Centre.

Syphilis
Fortunately, syphilis is rare. One to twelve weeks after infection, a small painless, pimple like sore appears on the man`s penis or the women`s external genitals. It may also appear in or around the mouth after oral sex or on the anus after anal intercourse. Unfortunately, as with gonorrhoea, the woman`s symptoms may be internal and unnoticed. If the sore is untreated, it heals and the primary stage begins.

The secondary stage develops two to six months later and various symptoms may occur, the most common being a reddish rash on the skin, headaches, sickness, loss of hair and feverishness. Painless warts may develop around the vulva, scrotum, anus or mouth. These symptoms may last for up to a year, and are obviously not easy to ignore.

The third stage may not occur until years later. It can involve intense pain, tumours, heart and brain damage, harm to unborn children and death. We urge you not to risk this happening, especially since treatment is easy to obtain in the form of antibiotics.

Time to Get Physical

Your general physical health is something you need to mind. 60 minutes physical activity a day and balanced diet all help in this. Eating good food (not necessarily expensive food) and watching what you drink is a good start to this.

Exercise

You should make use of the beautiful campus and top class facilities that we have, go jogging with your friends or housemates once or twice a week, take a wander around the hallways looking at the artwork, walk instead of driving, join the University Arena (student rate available on request), join a club (www.clubsandsocs.ul.ie), or even just have a kickabout on a patch of grass. 60 minutes a day is recommended, but if you currently don’t exercise at all, then even 60 minutes a week will make you look and feel a whole lot better.

Alcohol

If you think you have a problem with alcohol, dont be afraid to talk about it. Call into the PSA President or the counselling service.

Let's go F&^*ing Mental

As well as your sexual and physical health, you need to care for your mental health. Mental health is not about “crazy” people who need to be hospitalised. It is about everyone. Doing a crossword once a week or sodoku or a wordsearch are all ways of stimulating your mind and keeping your brain in peak condition for learning and studying. Mental health is an integral part of every individual, when it’s good everything is fine and when it’s not; in most cases it’s easily fixed.

Talking

Talking is the mental health equivalent of taking aspirin or paracetemol to ease a headache. There are people to talk to everywhere. You can call into the PSA, UL Counselling Services or the Students Union and speak to any of the officers there, whichever you feel most comfortable with. If you want to talk about something that’s bothering you but don’t want other people to know about it, come to the Students’ Union or go to Counselling. It’s all free and confidential, and you’ll feel all the better for it.