AWARENESS AND GUIDANCE WEEK (SHAG WEEK)
Hey Guys, This week is Sexual Health Awareness and Guidance week. (SHAG Week for short!) We’re raising awareness of the importance of safe-sex. In this booklet you’ll find information on different contraception and STDs, as well as important facts about health and even a ‘What type of condom are you?’ questionnaire! As always, let us know if we can help in anyway! We are also giving out lots of free weird and wonderful condoms in a number of flavours and some exciting glow in the dark condoms! Stay safe Butlerites! Welfare Love x For more information contact one of the Welfare team! Hannah Reed: hannah.reed@durham.ac.uk Alice Whitehouse: a.m.whitehouse@durham.ac.uk
Ben White: b.j.white@durham.ac.uk
Beth Garnsey: elizabeth.garnsey@durham.ac.uk
Contraceptive Methods
No method is 100% per cent effective, which means the only guaranteed way of preventing conception is to not have sex! But if you do, use protection. How effective is contraception? The effectiveness of contraception depends on factors such as age, how often you have sex AND whether you use the contraceptive correctly. Most types of contraception are over 99% effective if used correctly. The male condom is 98% effective if it's used correctly and consistently. It's the only type of contraception that protects against STDs as well as pregnancy.
Condoms (male and female) - Condoms also provide protection against STDs, and stop them being passed from one sexual partner to another. If you are using condoms, you should make sure you put them on before sex starts – not half Emergency contraception - to prevent pregnancy after having unprotected sex, or if a method of contraception has failed. There are two types of emergency contraception: the emergency contraceptive pill / morning-after pill
TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION!
Contraceptive patch - A form of hormonal contraceptive that's worn by a woman to prevent her getting
Combined contraceptive pill - contains synthetic versions of the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone,
Contraceptive implants and injections - long-acting, effective, reversible and progesterone-only methods of contraception. They are over 99% reliable in preventing pregnancy. The injec-
Intrauterine device (IUD) / Coil – a small, T-shaped contraceptive device that fits inside the womb (uterus). It's a long-acting and reversible method of contraception, which can stay in the
Intrauterine system (IUS) - similar to the intrauterine device (IUD), but it works in a slightly different way. Rather than releasing copper, the IUS releases progesterone, which prevents pregnancy. It's a long-acting, reversible method of contraception that lasts for
years.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) HIV Caught through unprotected sex and by sharing infected needles to inject drugs Found in the body fluids of an infected person i.e. semen, vaginal fluids and blood Weakens ability to fight infections and disease No cure however, long term medication is available to ease symptoms
Genital Herpes Caught through unprotected sex Symptoms difficult to spot When signs occur‌ they appear as one or more blisters on and around the genitals, mouth or rectum Transmission can occur with a sexual partner that does not have a visible sore Relapses of herpes are possible No cure but antiviral medications can shorten and prevent outbreaks.
Gonorrhoea Spread through contact of genital areas Ejaculation does not have to occur for it to be transmitted Men may not have symptoms at all however, symptoms include burning sensations when urinating, discharge from the penis or swelling of the testicles Women’s symptoms are often mild, most have no symptoms Initial symptoms and signs in women include a painful or burning sensation when urinating, increased vaginal discharge, or vaginal bleeding between periods.
Syphilis Direct contact with syphilis sores transmits the infection during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Syphilis cannot be spread through contact with toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, hot tubs, bathtubs, shared clothing, or eating utensils. Many people infected with syphilis do not have any symptoms for years; yet remain at risk for late complications if they are not treated.
Chlamydia Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Symptoms are usually mild or absent Serious complications that cause irreversible damage, including infertility, can occur Can cause discharge from the penis of an infected man or burning sensation when urinating as well as itching around the opening of their penis.
HIV Stigma: The Importance of Talking About Sex When we think about HIV, what may immediately spring to mind is the situation in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the infection is spreading dramatically. Most of us will be aware of the devastating situation there, with extreme death rates and only a small percentage of people aware of having the infection. Though rates have dropped, around 1.2 million people in the area are dying each year and it is still an alarming and tragic This seems a world away from the situation in the UK and much of the Western world where HIV has been controlled much better. In this country the disease is most often compared to that of diabetes. Medically, though still a serious disease, the effects of HIV can be controlled by some expensive drugs. Moreover the risk of spread from parent to child has been reduced to just one per cent by new birthing practises. Due to great achievements like this there is much lower risk of death than there once was, leading to some people claiming the disease is ‘not a big deal’. You may therefore expect that we would fear HIV much less in the UK now than we did when the disease was first discovered. Not so. A little over a year ago I met a man called Larry Gurney who found out he was HIV positive while being a Welfare Officer here at Durham University. Over twenty years ago, he was one of the first people to openly identify as HIV positive in the UK and went on to set up the MadAboutArt charity in 2001 – a charity that helps children across Africa and the UK fight and understand HIV/AIDS. Having helped develop a structure in Africa for people from contact areas to run the charity, he returned to the North East only to find a dramatically different reaction to his HIV then he had before. Where twenty years ago people would often feel sympathetic to him or someone else who had HIV, he now found people would see them as ‘dirty’ or ‘infected’. There has become an almost open disgust to HIV in these ways. Many people now would feel uncomfortable touching the skin of someone with HIV despite it posing them no risk. This is something we wouldn’t see with something like diabetes. These reactions, he noted, were particularly strong in the North East with a slight gradient across the country of better reactions further south. Many HIV positive people now hide their disease from others for this reason – fearing the reaction they would get. Imagine for a few moments that you found out you were HIV positive. Imagine how you would feel, knowing that you have to take drugs for the rest of your life that tend to have very serious side effects, that you won’t be able to have unprotected sex with someone without putting them at serious risk. Later you realise that you have to live with this as a secret or face horrible reactions. Maybe even you feel in some way ‘dirty’ because of that. Is it right to make someone feel that way? According to Larry, and many experts around the area, this reaction should be attributed the stigma around sex. In the UK at the moment, talking about anything sexual in a direct way is tabooed. Moreover, indirectly talking about sex through euphemisms or sexually suggestive language is generally frowned upon. By not talking about these issues, particularly in ways that we can learn about sex, we support the stigmas that have grown around STIs compared to other diseases such as diabetes. I think Sexual Health and Guidance (SHAG) Week is a perfect opportunity for us to help combat these issues. By talking more openly about sexual issues, at least for one week, we can help to break down the barriers between around sex. Sometimes we forget that people with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are still human beings. It is people like this that are struggling under these pressures that I think we should also aim to recognise at these times, rather than simply telling you what the risks of various STIs are. Ben White
LGBT Sexual Health (From your LGBT rep Max!) For everyone… Everyone who is sexually active is at risk of an STI, therefore no matter your gender or sexuality, sexual health is something to be taken seriously. It is in everyone’s interest to get regular sexual health check-ups. This can be done in a discreet and anonymous manner through the GUM clinic, which is located in the University Hospital (DH1 5TW). Here you can get confidential testing for everything from HIV to Hep B! http://www.durhamlgbta.org.uk/welfare/gum-clinics/ It is also very wise to practise safe sex regardless of gender or sexuality.
For the girls… If using toys, use a new condom for each partner and orifice. If you have cuts or sores on your mouth avoid oral, or use a dental dam (available from Welfare). Wash your hands before and after sex as hands, fingers and general contact can transmit some STIs. Use plenty of water-based lube. Facts In a recent survey conducted by Stonewall, stats revealed that less than half of the lesbian and bisexual women surveyed had ever been tested for STIs Half of those that had been tested had been treated for STIs A quarter of those treated had only had sex with women in the past 5 years.
For the guys… Always use a condom. Use plenty of water-based lube. Aim to get a sexual health test ideally every 6-12 months - HIV is still the most serious STI for gay men. Facts Research suggests that around 1 in 7 men on the gay ‘scene’ in London is HIV positive. Around 1 in 25 gay men in London attending sexual health clinics, has HIV, but it not aware of it.
#StaySafe
What type of condom 1.) What Exec position would you most likely run for? a) Welfare officer b) Sports Officer c) Social Chair d) Treasurer
2.) What is the best feature of your Butler bedroom? a) A large Collection of Text books b) Your Teddy Bear c) The Pod d) The Bed
3.) On Saturday, you’re most likely… a) Drinking away your hangover b) Doing that essay due ages in to the future c) On a nice walk, appreciating the view from the Mound d) Overindulging on everything you missed out on during the week
4.) What do you mostly think about on the way to lectures? a.) How Lucky you are and how wonderful life at Butler is b.) That Guy/ Girl from Klute last night c.) Walking?! You’re too hungover to walk, you’re on a bus going to Iceland to stock up. d.) Whether the pedestrian crossing will be green when you get to the New Inn
5.) In your food cupboard, there is most likely to be… a.) A huge bag of Pasta b.) Vodka…chocolate.. Vodka c.) A nice Steak… stocking up on Protein d.) Tea, Vegetables and organic goodies.
6.) Your Ideal Partner would be… a.) Someone who understands you and can look after you b.) Someone with lots of stamina, who can keep up with you c.) Someone you’ve known for a long time who you trust d.) Anything with legs… actually its wrong to discriminate.. anything!
NOW ADD UP YOUR SCORES! Question A
B
C
D
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1
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3
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4
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1
5
1
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6
2
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1
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6-10 Extra Safe You may be an ‘ever so slightly thicker condom’, but this means you are reliable and trustworthy. Someone who everyone can turn to in an hour of need.
11-15 Featherlite You’re a sensitive and gentle soul who appreciates the subtler things of life, which makes you this
16-20 Performa With your reputation and stamina levels you sometimes feel you can go on and on… which makes you the condom best for ‘delaying climaxes’.
20+ Pleasuremax You live life to the max and you like the best of both worlds. With your ‘special combination of dots and ribs’ you are often the life and soul of the party.