Check-ear
Because STIs are not always visible.
In recent years there has been a significant increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM). STIs do not always have visible symptoms, so a person can be infected without knowing it and not only having seriously compromised his health, but he also may be transmitting the infection to his sexual partners.
If not diagnosed and properly treated, STIs can be very dangerous and in some cases can cause irreversible damage. Also, being infected by one or more STIs, especially those that produce mucosal lesions, increases significantly the chances of becoming infected with HIV.
Therefore it’s time to CHECK-EAR!
CHECK-EAR is a study carried out in BCN Checkpoint, in the context of the AIDS Vaccine Research Project of HIVACAT, in collaboration with Institut de Recerca de la Sida Irsicaixa, Fundació de Lluita contra la Sida de l’Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol de Badalona, Fundació Clínic de l’Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and Centre d’Estudis Epidemiològics sobre les ITS i la Sida de Catalunya (CEEISCAT).
CHECK-EAR aims to detect the presence of sexually transmitted infections in MSM: HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis A, B and C, human papilloma virus (HPV) and lesions that HPV can cause.
Furthermore, HPV infection is very common and has been shown to cause the development of genital warts and/or other lesions such as anal cancer. The control of HPV in BCN Checkpoint includes an initial inspection to see if the virus is present in the body and a cytology to rule out the possible existence of lesions.
To access CHECK-EAR is necessary to meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Have maintained in multiple occasions unprotected anal sex during the past 6 months.
- Have been diagnosed with one or more STIs during the past 6 months.
- Being a sex worker.
VERY IMPORTANT: In all cases it is essential to have a health card from the Servei Català de la Salut. If you don’t have one we can help you to obtain it.
Check-ear is a good chance to benefit for free in a comfortable and prejudice-free environment of STIs’ controls with absolute confidentiality which would be hardly accessible otherwise.
Get informed in BCN Checkpoint (Comte Borrell, 164-166, 08015 Barcelona) or by calling 933 182 056.
