Protection

STIs Protection

Behavioral Approaches Prevention and Vaccination Condom Negotiation STIs Egyptian Control Strategy Ways to Get STIs Without Having Sex Re-Testing

Behavioral Approaches

Abstinence and the maintenance of a mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner decrease the risk for all STIs.

Always practice safe sex – use a condom correctly and consistently or abstain from intercourse. If engaging in oral sex, use a male condom or dental dam.

Drinking heavily or taking mind-altering drugs will impair judgement and inhibitions during a sexual encounter, increasing the risk of making unsafe choices like not using a condom.

If you have engaged in risky sexual activities or suspect that you may have an STI, visit a healthcare provider immediately. If the results confirm that you have an STI, inform all your sex partners and encourage them to seek testing and medical attention.

Prevention

There are several ways to avoid or reduce your risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Abstain: The most effective way to avoid STIs is to abstain from sex.

Stay with one uninfected partner: Another reliable way of avoiding STIs is to stay in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship in which both people have sex only with each other and neither partner is infected.

Get vaccinated: Getting vaccinated early, before sexual exposure, is also effective in preventing certain types of STIs.

Vaccines are available to prevent HPV, hepatitis A and hepatitis

B.

Use condoms and dental dams consistently and correctly: use a new latex condom or dental dam for each sex act, whether oral, vaginal or anal. Don't drink alcohol excessively or use drugs: If you're under the influence, you're more likely to take sexual risks. Communicate: Before any serious sexual contact, communicate with your partner about practicing safer sex. Be sure you specifically agree on what activities will and won't be OK. Consider male circumcision: There's evidence that male circumcision can help reduce a man's risk of acquiring HIV from a woman by as much as 60%. Male circumcision may also help prevent transmission of genital HPV and genital herpes. Consider pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of the combination drugs to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted HIV infection in people who are at very high risk.

Avoid sharing towels or underclothing. Wash before and after intercourse.

Condom Negotiation

What’s condom negotiation?

It is the process by which individuals in a sexual relationship decide whether to use a male condom during sex.

Tips for communicating with your partner

Try and talk to them about the benefits to both of you of having safe sex, such as protection against STIs and preventing pregnancy. Fun Fact: If used correctly, condoms are 98% effective in preventing STIs and unplanned pregnancy.

If either partner are unsure about how to use condoms, they should learn how to use one before engaging in sexual intercourse. Once they reach an agreement to use condoms, they should plan ahead and make sure they have them handy when the time comes. Remember that it is everyone’s responsibility to buy or carry condoms on them. Don’t assume that it’s the partner’s job or expect them to buy them. Always use condoms with a water-based lubricant to avoid the condom breaking.

What if the other partner refuses?

The woman is the one who is at risk of pregnancy, so she is often perceived as responsible for contraception. The male condom offers an opportunity for men to take part in this responsibility.

Proper use of condoms and other protective methods

Steps for Use of Male Condom

Reasons for Non Compliance with Condom Use

Dislike of condoms

Problems of condom accessibility, availability or affordability

Difficulty raising the subject of condom use in a relationship or negotiating its use

Unfamiliarity with the condom and its us

Ways to Increase Condom Use

Educate the patient about the advantages of condom use Ensure that a patient is familiar with the appearance, the texture and the correct use of a condom Educate the patient about where to obtain quality condoms Make helpful suggestions on how the patient can negotiate its use in a way that is appropriate for a particular relationship

STIs Egyptian Control Strategy

Currently the Egyptian Ministry of Health exerting tremendous efforts to standardize quality service in the prevention and treatment of STIs, activities including:

The establishment and strengthening of the National HIV/STIs

Surveillance plan and system.

Production and validation of National Guidelines for STIs case management.

Production of STIs training manual for healthcare professionals including contents about communication, counseling, advocacy, and management of with STIs/HIV

Establishment of Pilot STIs Clinics: – Cairo Skin and STIs

Hospital (El Hod El Marsoud) and Alexandria Skin and STIs

Clinic (Mina El Basal).

Training and recruitment of qualified healthcare providers.

Several trials for the introduction of syndromic approach for the management of STIs

Protection vs contraception

Using condoms or dental dams during sex. Condoms are the only way that helps prevent both pregnancy and most STDs by acting as a barrier. Using contraceptive forms are specific in that they are used for the purpose of preventing sperm from reaching a female’s egg These methods include oral

Dental dams help only in the prevention of STDs. lamp or sheepskin condoms are not effective in preventing STDs. contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices (IUDs), tubal ligation, hysterectomy, vasectomy , barrier methods (condoms, diaphragms), and spermicides.

Kissing: IOral Herpes, also known as the Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 (HSV-1), can be spread by contact with an active sore. Oral sex should also be avoided when a cold sore is present, in order to prevent contracting HSV-1 in the genital area. Oral sex: Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea are amongst the STIs most commonly passed through oral sex to the throat. Syphilis and Genital Herpes can also be passed through contact with a blister or sore in the genital area. Sharing toothbrushes, razors or needles: Bloodborne infections can be spread by sharing objects which can cut the skin with someone who is infected. This includes HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.

Blood transfusion

Contaminated food: Hepatitis A can be spread through contaminated food or water and then passed to others through anal sex (contact with infected faeces). This is more common in developing countries with poor sanitation. Skin-on-skin contact: HPV, which can cause Genital Warts, can be transmitted through physical contact with a wart. Syphilis is usually passed through direct contact with a Chancre or sore (the first stage of infection).

Ways to Get STIs Without Having Sex

Re-testing

Reinfections are common due to transmission by either an untreated prior partner or an infected new partner. Thus, retesting is recommended for earlier treatment which can prevent complications and further transmission. For healthcare providers, retesting, regardless of the results, provides the opportunity to rediscuss STIs prevention with patients. It is recommended that anyone who tested positive for chlamydia or gonorrhoea and any female who tested positive for trichomoniasis be retested three months after treatment.

Activities

Activity 1: Rapid fire round

Goal Try to test the participants knowledge on different subjects related to the topic of protection and also giving them the new information in a fun active way and also keeping them engaged and energised Materials Flash cards, stop watch, markers, tracking sheets Methodology Try to test the participants knowledge on different subjects related to the topic of protection and also giving them the new information in a fun active way and also keeping them engaged and energised Expected time 10-15 minutes

Activity 2: Group discussion

Goal Deliver the point of importance of condoms in STIs protection in an unconventional way Materials Visual aids Methodology Asking people what they know about condoms, their importance and the correct way to use them then showing them a video explaining the best way to use it after taking their inputs Expected time 10 - 15 minutes

Activity 3: Pick your corner game Goal Raise a topic of discussion and controversy to see the different opinions of participants on certain protective methods and correcting their faulted believes Materials Markers, papers Methodology The room is divided into three parts. Each part holds a group ( absolute protectionintermediate protection- no protection at all) and each person will be handed a piece of paper with the method of protection and according to what they see fit they will stand in the corner they think is right. After everyone is standing they will be asked to reveal what was the method they got and why he picked that corner and other participants will be allowed to comment too

Expected time 5-10 minutes

Activity 4: Story telling

Goal

Participants gain perspective on the impacts of negative sexual experiences and stigma Materials Pen and paper, suitable background music perhaps Methodology The trainers will come up with stories on different subjects as condom negotiation, pre marital testing, HIV stigma, etc. And the participants will be asked to close their eyes while listening to the stories and imagine being a part of it then asking them about their feelings and thoughts after and what they relate with and what they would've done differently. Expected time 20 minutes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Why should I get retested?

Reinfections are common due to transmission by either an untreated prior partner or an infected new partner. Thus, retesting is recommended for earlier treatment which can prevent complications and further transmission.

Q2. Are condoms 100% effective in preventing STIs?

Q3. What is the most effective way of preventing sexually transmitted infections?

Condoms are believed to be 98% effective to prevent STIs. In addition to using condoms, knowing your partner's sexual history and regularly testing will help protect you from STIs.

Abstinence from sex is the most effective way to prevent STIs. Yet, if you're sexually active, the correct use of male latex condoms is a highly effective method to reduce the risk of STI. It must be used every time you have anal, vaginal, or oral sex.

Abstinence from sex Correct and consistent use of condoms Monogamous relationships Vaccination Male circumcision Not sharing needles, towels, or clothes

Casual contact such as kissing and touching does not transmit HIV. Yet CDC recommended not to engage in an open-mouth (French) kissing, though the risk is very low, with a person living with HIV while having dental problems. This is mainly to avoid the potential contact with blood.

No. While testing regularly for STIs should be part of every sexually-active adult, that’s not the case with most people. Doctors recommend testing regularly every 6 months and after 3 months of a sexual encounter\relationship.

Q4. What can I do to reduce my risk of getting an STD?

There are several ways for STI protection such as:

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Q5. Can HIV be transmitted through kissing or touching?

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Q6. Should I only get tested when I have a new partner?

References

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14. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sexuallytransmitted-diseases-stds/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351246 https://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/understandingstds-prevention https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sexuallytransmitted-diseases-stds/symptoms-causes/syc-20351240 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00224499.2013 .868861?journalCode=hjsr20 https://www.getthefacts.health.wa.gov.au/fun-stuff/letstalk/inline-content/tips-for-negotiating-condom-use https://www.ippf.org/blogs/condom-negotiation https://urgentcareomaha.com/uti-or-std-how-to-tell-thedifference/ https://physiciansimmediatecare.com/uti-or-std/ https://www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/prevention-sti.html https://www.iamat.org/country/egypt/risk/sexuallytransmitted-infections https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264974882 _ Sexually _ Transmitted _ Infections _ The _ Egyptian _ situation _ with _ special _ e mphasis _ on _ HIVAIDS https://www.stdcheck.com/blog/difference-betweenprotection-birth-control-and-contraception/ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexuallytransmitted-infections-(stis) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EunIXc5sj5Exi1J_pXzeAjxmVrsmfUp/view?usp=sharing