Getting tested can be an overwhelming experience for many people. Even though a large majority of those who test turn out to be negative, for some the anticipated threat of a positive test result … Read Full Answer
Nine Circles Community Health Centre answers questions about sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections to get the word out. Please scroll through our posts about safer sex, transmission, testing, harm reduction, etc… to find what you are looking for. You can also browse popular keywords by clicking SEARCH. If you don’t see your question here click ASK to submit one for our Health Educators to answer.
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bacterial vaginosis birth control chlamydia condom condomless sex disclosure drug use gonorrhea Hep A hepatitis Hep B Hep C herpes HIV HIV testing HPV human papillomavirus masturbation Molluscum Contagiosum Mycoplasma Genitalium no risk oral sex pap test PEP PrEP prevention sex dam STBBI STD STI STI testing syphilis treatment trichomoniasis U=U window period yeast infectionMy brother just told me he has HIV, but he didn't tell me how much time he has before he gets AIDS. What's the average time someone has before they get AIDS?
Being diagnosed with HIV today is very different than it was a decade ago. Thanks to new advances in medical care and HIV treatment, people living with HIV can lead long lives without advancing to the state we know as AIDS … Read Full Answer
I think I should get tested, but I really don't want a little stick up my dick. Do I have to have that? Are there other tests they can do instead?
We’re glad you asked this question, because there are many people who are scared about what goes on inside an STI testing appointment. I can provide some information that might dispel some myths or fears around testing a penis for sexually transmitted infections … Read Full Answer
My best friend has had HIV for 7 years. She just got a new job and doesn't know if she has tell her new boss or not.
Let me provide some useful links you can pass along to your friend as she decides whether to disclose her HIV status to her new employer. In most cases, people living with HIV do not have to disclose their diagnosis to their employer or their co-workers. … Read Full Answer
If a person is Hep B + and they spit in your eye, can the virus be transmitted?
Hepatitis B is contagious and is transmitted when one comes in contact with semen, vaginal fluid and blood of an infected person. Saliva of a person living with HBV is … Read Full Answer
Hello There, please I have a question concerning Herpes blood testing. How much reliable is the IgG testing for past infection and for current infection?
Herpes is a common viral infection and many people with herpes may not have any symptoms or confuse it for another skin condition … Read Full Answer
Why can’t the nurse just give me the pills to treat my girlfriend when I was told I have chlamydia? She’s already pissed off with me and now she has to go in herself.
I’m sorry to hear that chlamydia is putting a strain on your relationship right now, but you’ve done the right thing in getting tested and letting your partner know the … Read Full Answer
The new mechanic at my work has hep c. What can I do to make sure I don't get hep c from him? We work together and eat lunch together almost everyday.
Casual contact (sharing toilets, drinking glasses, working together, shaking hands, hugging…) with a person living with Hep C, poses no transmission risk … Read Full Answer
Do I have to be sexually active to get a Pap test done?
A pap test (sometimes called a “pap smear”) is a test used to check the cervix for early signs of cancer. Pap tests can find cancer cells or cells that could turn into cancer … Read Full Answer
I just arrived in Winnipeg from overseas and I would like to still get PrEP in Manitoba. Could you please let me know where to get a prescription?
Glad to hear that you are finding PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) an effective strategy to prevent HIV. PrEP is part of the toolbox we call Treatment as Prevention. Because you are in Winnipeg, you can come to Nine Circles Community Health Centre and talk to a testing nurse about starting PrEP … Read Full Answer
Can somebody get Hepatitis C by eating contaminated food at a restaurant?
No Hepatitis C is NOT transmitted by eating or sharing food nor by other social contacts such as hugging, holding hands, sharing utensils, sneezing, or breastfeeding. Hep C virus is transmitted … Read Full Answer
HIV can't pass from a woman to a man right? It's just man to man or man to woman.
Evidence indicates that the most common route of HIV transmission is sex. Condomless penis-vagina sex can put either of the partners at risk for transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections. … Read Full Answer
Can you get pregnant the first time?
People can get pregnant the first time they have penis-vagina sex. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are also possible the first time for many kinds of sex. … Read Full Answer
I am having smelly discharge from my vagina. What could that be? Should I stop having sex with my boyfriend?
Smelly discharge from the vagina could be a symptom of: a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis, chlamydia or gonorrhea. The good news is there are tests and treatments for all of these … Read Full Answer
Does kissing spread HIV?
“HIV spreading through kissing” is a myth. There are only 5 body fluids (blood, semen, vaginal fluid, anal fluid and breast milk) that have the ability to transmit HIV. Saliva, … Read Full Answer
What is the difference between HIV 1 and HIV 2?
HIV 1 and HIV 2 – both these types are transmitted in exactly the same ways, and people should adapt the same prevention methods … Read Full Answer
HIV lives in the blood, so does having sex with someone on her period increase my risk of getting HIV?
Whether the individual is menstruating or not, condomless vaginal sex, can be a risk factor for passing on sexually transmitted and blood borne infections (STBBIs) like … Read Full Answer
Is there a cure for HIV?
Unfortunately there is no cure for HIV, though cure related research is happening all over the globe. However, there is effective treatment for HIV that can improve a person’s immune … Read Full Answer