CHLAMYDIA
What is it?
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is transmitted through anal and vaginal penetration and oral sex. It is one of the most frequent STIs, along with syphilis and gonorrhea.
Is it dangerous?
Chlamydia can cause irreversible lesions to the sexual organs and cause infertility. You should take into account that chlamydia and many other STIs can increase the chances of being infected with HIV.
What are the symptoms?
- White watery discharge from the penis.
- A burning sensation or pain when urinating.
- A feeling you want to urinate more.
- Inflammation or pain in the testicles.
- Painful or sore throat.
- Pain or the presence of blood or pus in the rectum.
Even so, 50% of chlamydia infections do not present with any symptoms. That’s why many people do not know that they have it and since they don’t seek treatment they continue to pass it on to their partners.
How do I know if I have it?
If you suspect that you may have chlamydia you should go to a healthcare centre and they will give you the necessary tests. What’s more, BCN Checkpoint is carrying out studies which also include free screening for STIs such as Chlamydia.
If the results come out positive you will be prescribed treatment. You need to notify your sexual partners and refrain from sex until you are cured.
How is it treated?
Chlamydia is cured with antibiotics.
GONORRHEA
What is it?
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is caught through anal and vaginal penetration and oral sex. It is one of the most frequent STIs along with syphilis and chlamydia.
Is it dangerous?
Gonorrhea can cause permanent lesions to the sexual organs and lead to infertility.
It can also cause pain and swelling in the knees and other joints, small red blisters on the skin and heart problems.
You should take into account that gonorrhea and many other STIs can increase the chances of getting infected with HIV.
What are the symptoms?
- White watery discharge or pus from the penis.
- Burning or pain when urinating.
- A feeling you want to urinate more.
- Painful or swollen testicles.
- Painful or swollen throat.
- Pain in the rectum or the presence of blood and pus.
However, in many cases gonorrhea does not present with any symptoms. That’s why many people do not know they have it and since they don’t get treated they continue to pass it on to their partners.
How do I know if I have it?
If you suspect that you may have gonorrhea you should go to a healthcare centre and they will give you the necessary tests. What’s more, BCN Checkpoint is carrying out studies which also include free screening for STIs such as gonorrhea.
How is it treated?
Gonorrhea is cured with antibiotics.
SYPHILIS
What is it?
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is caught through anal and vaginal penetration and oral sex, and even through skin contact with a syphilitic lesion. It is one of the most frequent STIs along with gonorrhea and chlamydia.
Is it dangerous?
If not properly treated, years later syphilis can cause serious mental, mobility, sight and heart disorders. You should take into account that syphilis and many other STIs can increase the chances of getting infected with HIV.
What are the symptoms?
- One or more ulcers on the genitals, anus or mouth.
- Skin rash on all the body but more frequently on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and the trunk.
- Lesions on the mucose membranes.
- Swollen lymph glands.
- Fever and fatigue.
However in many cases syphilis does not present with any symptoms or they may gradually go away although the infection persists. That’s why many people do not know they have it and since they don’t get treated they continue to pass it on to their partners.
How do I know if I have it?
If you suspect you may have syphilis you can arrange an appointment at BCN Checkpoint to get tested for it. It is a rapid test that will tell you whether you are infected with syphilis in 20 minutes by just drawing a few drops of blood.
How is it treated?
Syphilis is cured with antibiotics.
GENITAL WARTS & HPV
What are they?
Genital warts appear as a small bump or group of bumps in the genital area and are normally painless. They are acquired through anal and vaginal penetration, through contact between the skin and a wart and through oral sex.
What causes them?
Genital warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), a virus that is very easily transmitted. In the majority of cases it does not cause any symptoms or health problems to people infected with it.
Are they dangerous?
Genital warts are caused by a less serious HPV type and are not usually associated with cancer. There is another more serious type of HPV virus that does not produce warts or any other apparent symptoms and that can increase your risk of anal cancer. In addition, there is a vaccine for HPV. BCN Checkpoint has a vaccination program against this virus
How do I know if I have it?
External warts can sometimes be clearly visible. Internal ones need to be diagnosed by a doctor by means of a digital rectal exam, an anoscopy or anal cytology.
How are they treated?
Depending on what the warts are like, their number and location, the doctor may recommend their removal by applying a treatment with a cream, freezing them and, in some cases surgical removal.
HIV
What is it?
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be transmitted through sexual intercourse: by anal and vaginal penetration and, more rarely, through oral sex.
Is it dangerous?
HIV infection weakens the immune system and if it is not treated over the years it leads to AIDS which brings on a series of diseases that may cause death.
What are the symptoms?
HIV is usually an asymptomatic infection although when the virus enters the body it may cause the following symptoms which often go unnoticed:
- Flu like symptoms, with fever, joint and muscular pain, general fatigue.
- A skin rash.
- Swollen lymph nodes.
- Diarrhea.
- A sore throat.
Even though these symptoms clear up spontaneously, if it is not treated the infection progresses and weakens the immune system until the person ends up developing AIDS.
How do I know if I have it?
If you suspect that you may have HIV ask for an appointment at BCN Checkpoint to take the test. It is a rapid test that only requires a few drops of blood and in only 20 minutes you will know whether you are infected with HIV.
At the same time you will receive counselling on sexual health and, in the event the result comes out positive, all the psychological support you need.
How is it treated?
There is still no cure for HIV but it can be treated with antiretroviral therapy, which makes life expectancy and quality of life of people living with HIV being now equal to that of the general population. What’s more, treatment manages to bring down viral load to a non-detectable level and under these circumstances the risk of transmission is practically zero.
HEPATITIS B
What is it?
Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver caused by a virus. In sexual contact it can be transmitted through anal and vaginal penetration without a condom, and to a lesser extent through oral sex.
Is it dangerous?
Most people who are infected with Hepatitis B recover completely but in some cases it may become chronic, producing hepatic lesions which in some cases could cause liver cancer and even lead to death.
What are the symptoms?
- Yellowing of the skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice).
- Extreme tiredness.
- Fever and joint pain.
- Loss of appetite.
- Nauseas and vomiting.
- Dark urine.
- Pain in the area of the liver.
However, some hepatitis B infections do not present with any symptoms. This means that many people do not know that they have it and since they don’t get treated they continue to transmit it to their partners.
How do I know if I have it?
If you suspect that you may have hepatitis B go to a healthcare centre where you can take a blood test that will tell you whether you have or have had hepatitis B.
How is it treated?
There is no cure for hepatitis B. However there is a vaccine that can protect you from the virus that causes it. BCN Checkpoint runs a free vaccination programme for both hepatitis B and hepatitis A.
HEPATITIS A
What is it?
Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver caused by a virus. One of the ways it is spread is through oral-anal contact given that the virus is present in feces.
Is it dangerous?
The majority of people who contract hepatitis A recover completely and once they have been through it they cannot get it again. Some people may become seriously ill and may need to be hospitalised.
What are the symptoms?
- Extreme tiredness.
- Fever.
- Nausea, abdominal discomfort or loss of appetite.
- Dark urine.
- Light or clay coloured feces.
- Yellowing of the skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice).
The symptoms appear 2 to 7 weeks after catching the virus and can last anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months although some adults do not have any symptoms.
How do I know if I have it?
If you suspect that you have hepatitis A you should go to a healthcare centre where you will be given a blood test that will tell you whether you have had the infection.
How is it treated?
People with hepatitis A need to rest and follow a healthy diet to ensure that the symptoms gradually subside. It is also very important for a person who is recovering from hepatitis A to abstain from drinking alcohol because it is very difficult for the liver to eliminate it from the body.
There is no cure for hepatitis A but there is a vaccine that protects you from the virus that causes it. BCN Checkpoint runs a free vaccionation programme for both hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
HEPATITIS C
What is it?
Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by a virus. It is basically spread through blood contact with an infected person and consequently, sex where there might be contact with blood entails a higher risk of transmission.
Lately there has been an increase in the number of cases of hepatitis C infections through sex in gay men, associated with practices such as penetration without a condom, group sex, sharing sex toys and fisting without protection, which may produce small lesions.
Is it dangerous?
It may become dangerous. With time people who have chronic hepatitis C run the risk of developing serious health problems such as:
- Cirrosis (fibrosis y atrofia del hígado).
- Cáncer de hígado.
The effects of hepatitis C may take years to manifest themselves. In some cases serious symptoms do not appear until 30 years later.
What are the symptoms?
- Fatigue.
- Muscular and joint pain.
- Vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Abdominal pain
.
- Dark urine or light-coloured stools.
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes).
If you have any of these symptoms and they do not go away after a few days go to a healthcare centre. If you have jaundice go immediately.
How do I know if I have it?
If you suspect that you might have hepatitis C come to BCN Checkpoint where we can give you a blood test to find out whether you have been infected.
How is it treated?
Unlike Hepatitis A and B, it is important to note that Hepatitis C does not have a vaccine. New drugs have come out recently which can cure hepatitis C although they are only administered for very serious cases.
LYMPHOGRANULOMA VENEREUM
What is it?
It is a chronic infection caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, which affects the genitalia and the inguinal lymph nodes. One of the ways it is transmitted is through anal sex.
Is it dangerous?
If it is treated the prognosis is good, but if left untreated complications may appear years later.
What are the symptoms?
- The first symptoms may appear 7 to 30 days after exposure to the bacterium. Initially a very small lesion or papule appears at the site of exposure with the bacterium, which last 3 to 5 days on average.
- 2 to 6 weeks after the lesion, the lymph nodes of the groin become painfully swollen. If this isn’t treated promptly it may worsen and produce lesions with purulent discharge as well as scarring in the area.
- It can also cause general symptoms such as pain in the joints, fever and malaise.
How do I know if I have it?
If you suspect that you may have lymphogranuloma (LGV) go to a healthcare centre where you will be given a test to see whether you have the infection.
How is it treated?
The infection can be treated with the right antibiotics. Among those most commonly prescribed to treat LGV are doxycycline and erythromycin.
