Sexual Health in the Lifestyle

If anyone has the time and or inclination to help me expand and update this page I am more than happy to post it here and give you full acknowledgement.

I have added this page due to the rising number of STI's in the lifestyle.

The Swinging Lifestyle for as long as I can remember has been pretty much clear of STI's, but lately due to the increasing numbers of people in the lifestyle the incidence of infection is a growing problem.

In the past most people in the swinging lifestyle knew each other before they played, but these days a large proportion of swinging is happening in clubs with complete strangers whose contact details are not collected. this means that should someone find out they have caught an infection they have no way of telling anyone they played that they may have passed the infection on to them, or on to others.

There are lots of myths about STI's this page will deal with some of them. If any of the symptoms sound familiar please see your doctor asap.

• Myth - I only had oral sex, so I"m OK.
• Fact - STI's are not only passed on through intercourse - some, including Chlamydia, can be passed on through oral sex.
  
  
• Myth - I have cold sores, so I cannot get genital herpes.
• Fact - You can get herpes simplex - the same virus that causes cold sores on the genitals
  
  
• Myth - HIV/AIDS is only in found in the Gay/Homosexual scene.
• Fact - the numbers of cases of HIV in the heterosexual population is increasing, it is true this is mainly in immigrants from sub-Sahara Africa, but it is appearing in western populations as well.
  
  
• Myth - I caught Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, syphilis from a toilet seat.
• Fact - not 100% impossible, but probably 99.99999% impossible. If you or your partner has caught a STI, they have caught it through sexual contact with someone else.
  
  
• Myth - I have no discharge, so I have no infection.
• Fact - the most prevalent STI in the lifestyle now is Chlamydia. It does not always have any visible signs, but if you are female and have Chlamydia you stand a high risk of becoming infertile, Many of the other STI's also do not show signs in between 10-40% of cases.
  
  
• Myth - We only played using sex toys, so we cannot catch anything.
• Fact - If one partner is infected it is possible to pass the infection on via an unwashed sex toy - Genital Warts are often spread this way.

If any health workers with a knowledge of STI's have the time and the inclination to help me keep this page up to date please get in touch.

Do not be afraid to go along for a check up if you suspect you may have caught something. there is no shame attached to attending a special clinic for a test, there is shame attached to dying needlessly from not taking the time to have a check up.

JoJo and I get checked regularly. Happily, so far I have only had NSU's, JoJo has been in the clear.

• NSU - is a non specific Urinary infection. this can be caused by having sex with someone who has the infection, but also by eating spicy foods, drinking to much alcohol especially in sunny weather. the treatment varies from nasty drugs for 2 weeks to three heavy duty bunker buster tablets which should clear infection within 7-14 days.

As with all infections;

• Finish the medication, even after the symptoms disappear. Failure to do so makes the infection more resistant to antibiotics. Failure by people to finish the course of antibiotics is the main reason that infections are becoming resistant to them.
• Remember to go back for the follow up. Failure to do so could mean that the infection is still there - and you could re-infect other partners.