Photo courtesy of the Australia Department of Health and Ageing

 Sexually transmitted infection. Even just saying the word evokes uneasiness and may involuntarily cause you to speak in mumbled whispers.  But if STIs, as they are properly known (they’re also commonly called STDs, or sexually transmitted diseases), are not the stuff of polite conversation, then where are you getting your information about STI prevention? It’s time for a reality check to see if what you know—or think you know—about STIs is accurate and sound.  

Dr. Giovanni Templonuevo, HIV/AIDS Programme Officer of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Malou Tan, Public Health Nurse at the Manila Social Hygiene Clinic, talk about common STI myths that are often mistaken for the truth.

Read on—what you may have thought to be STI fact may just turn out to be fiction.

Myth: Only people who sleep around get STIs.
Fact: STIs do not discriminate. It can happen to anyone.

There are an estimated 19 million new sexually transmitted infections diagnosed every year. These infections run across a wide range of ages, races, and genders. You can get an STI if you have unprotected sex—even if it is just one time—with an infected person. It can really happen to anyone,  even you.

Myth: I can’t get an STI—I’m in a monogamous relationship.
Fact: When you sleep with someone, you also sleep with their past.

This just means that even if you’ve only had sex with one person, you may not know who your partner slept with before you and if those past partner/s were STI-free.

Also, as observed by Malou Tan, there is a growing number of bi-sexual boyfriends and husbands who do not disclose their sexual orientation to their partners. These men engage in high-risk behavior which in turn exposes their wives and girlfriends to a higher risk of infection.

Myth: You CANNOT get an STI/HIV from oral sex.
Fact: Oral sex needs to be made safe, too.

You can get an STI, including HIV, from having oral sex. Most STIs are transmitted through vaginal fluids, semen and pre-ejaculate (the clear, colorless, viscous fluid that emits from the urethra of a man’s penis when he is sexually aroused). Infection may occur if these fluids come in contact with sores or lesions in your mouth. Use a condom every time you have any kind of sex—vaginal, anal and oral sex.

Myth: If you have an STI you will see symptoms and know right away.
Fact: Many STI’s don’t have symptoms.

Foul-smelling discharge, itchiness in the genital area, and pain during sex and urination are all common symptoms of STIs. But these symptoms may not show up at all for some STIs.

The best thing to do is to get tested. You can request an STI panel (to test your blood or urine specimen against other common forms of STIs) when you get your yearly pap smear. But if you’re sexually active and not monogamous, you should be tested every six months—and that goes for both men and women. Encourage your partner to get tested along with you.

Myth: Oral contraceptives prevent STIs.
Fact: The only thing that oral contraceptives can help prevent is pregnancy.

The proper and consistent use of a condom is still the best way for you to protect yourself from STIs. Proper use of the condom is of utmost importance. As pre-ejaculate may cause both STIs and pregnancy, the condom must be put on before any actual penetration takes place. So nix any temptation to get in a few raw thrusts before actually bagging it.
 

Myth: Two condoms are better than one.
Fact:  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and condom manufacturers actually warn against using two condoms at the same time.

This is one case where double bagging does more harm than good. Using two condoms for added safety will cause the condoms to rub against each other during sexual intercourse. This friction increases the chance of one or both condoms breaking or slipping off.

Staying aware of the myths about STIs is one way to stay safe. What you don’t know can hurt you, so it’s best to know what’s fact and fiction when it comes to your sexual health.

Original article entitled “Demystifying sexually transmitted infections” written by Ana Santos for www.femalenetwork.com

        

“Your topic is relevant and the information  is useful. I got pregnant when I was 20 years old. I was not at all ready. I wanted to get an abortion because I was so ashamed to be pregnant and not married. With more information about contraception, students can avoid getting pregnant at such a young age. “ –  A, mother of 3

According to the Guttmacher Institute, there are 3 million pregnancies each year in the Philippines. An estimated half of these pregnancies, or 1.5 million, are unwanted or unplanned.  The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that there are 4 babies born every minute in our country.

Don’t let a hot date become a due date.

Educate yourself on what contraceptive methods are available. Consult your doctor or Social Hygiene Clinic medical staff on the method that is best for you.

Love yourself first. If you’re going to have sex, do it with sensibility.

        

In relation to the theme: “Keep the promise”, the campaign brought together a total of 14 HIV/AIDS advocates who boldly showed their support by posing for photographs showing them wearing the AIDS ribbon, the universally recognized icon of support and empathy for HIV/AIDS –  and nothing but that.

None of the advocates were models or celebrities. Some had never even been photographed before.  They were all real every day people who, in one way or another, have been touched by HIV/AIDS. Some have friends who are living with HIV, others have loved ones who succumbed to the disease; and there are those who themselves are living with HIV.

Together with various organizations working for the promotion of sexual health – Victoria Court, DKT Philippines (makers of Trust, Frenzy and Premiere condoms), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)– these advocates participated in the Dare to Bare campaign, hoping that their efforts will help change the way you look at this epidemic and serve as encouragement that everyone can do their part to keep the promise and stop AIDS.

Carlos Celdran wore the bow tie of his dog, Bogart, along with the HIV/AIDS ribbon

Carlos Celdran: Historian, Tour Guide Extraordinaire, HIV/AIDS and RH Advocate

“Don’t be ignorant about HIV; not only to protect yourself, but those around you.”

The man in the top hat giving walking tours of Intramuros that promise to change the way you see his beloved city of Manila is a familiar one. That same man may also be seen not just walking, but picketing the streets of the Senate to lobby for the passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) Bill with his trusty sidekick, Bogart by his side.

Carlos Celdran has always been one to openly support causes that he believes in — HIV/AIDS awareness being one of these causes.

Celdran’s youth was marked by living a carefree life in New York City, which he discloses included a bi-sexual lifestyle.

“I was living and working in New York in the 90s. Back then when you met someone at a bar, the line of questioning was always: ‘What’s your name? What do you do? Where do you live? And are you HIV positive?’ We might have been a bit promiscuous, but always careful and used condoms.”

Carlos continues, “There are a lot of advancements that have been made in the field of HIV/AIDS in the last decade, and it’s true that the infection is no longer a death sentence, but it’s not something to be taken lightly either. There are a lot of people now who don’t protect themselves because they are ignorant or complacent.”

“Information is power and silence equals death. Don’t be ignorant about HIV – not only to protect yourself, but also the ones around you. HIV is a journey that affects everyone you love and who love you back.”

Karen's signature pirate garb was an accessory to the HIV/AIDS ribbon

Karen: Trailblazing Reproductive Health Advocate

“…we need to see is that HIV/AIDS is related to reproductive health, which in turn influences overpopulation…”

Karen may also be best remembered as one of the hosts of XYZ, a television program in the 90s that dealt with issues on women empowerment and reproductive health. The show was considered both progressive and ballsy – it is said that it was on XYZ when a condom was first seen on national television. Using executions that were light and humorous like a condom quiz, XYZ was able to communicate messages about safe sex in a language that the youth could understand and relate to.

In 1999, because of her work on XYZ, Karen was invited to speak at the 5^th International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific in Kuala Lumpur where she presented the youth view on HIV/AIDS. “Some of the findings of my presentation showed that the youth viewed HIV/AIDS as somewhat a solitary issue. It had to be related to something else like sexual health,  overpopulation or poverty in order to be relevant to them.”, says Karen.

Today, Karen says that she still sees a similar problem except that, “The issue of HIV/AIDS is eclipsed by other issues like now hot topic climate change and Typhoon Ondoy. And this goes for everyone, not just the youth.”

But Karen firmly believes that these issues are interconnected. “I think what we need to see is that HIV/AIDS is related to reproductive health, which in turn influences overpopulation, and we all know that the increasing population adds to energy consumption and global warming.”

From communicating her advocacy on mainstream television, Karen has stepped back a bit to bring these values back to her corner of the world.  “Like many families here in the Philippines, sex was not something we discussed at home.  The territory of Human Sexuality was often something we had to navigate through ourselves.  Now that I’m older—and still learning, I want open up more to the next generation.  For some of us, when it rains we can still hear our moms say—put on a jacket or you’ll get sick!  How about translating that to hearing—put on some protection, kiddo! When the situation arises.”

Wanggo Gallaga wore feelings for HIV/AIDS awareness on his "sleeve".

Wanggo Gallaga: Living with HIV since 2008

“I think not having a mentality of being sick has greatly helped my state of mind”

It was a year ago when Wanggo Gallaga appeared on national television and disclosed his HIV status.

Immediately, Wanggo was deluged with questions about STDs and HIV, often from people he didn’t even know.  “I still get a lot of questions on my social networking site till now. Some people even seem to have opened an account just to ask me things like: I had unprotected sex and now I’m beginning to feel sick. Is that how you felt?”, he says.

Such questions underscore the need for better access to information on HIV/AIDS, which Wanggo hopes to help address by sharing his own experience with as many people as possible.

Working with UNAIDS and the Department of Health (DOH), Wanggo shares his story with the communities these organizations assist. As part of the UN commercial on the Millenium Development Goals in 2015, Wanggo calls for the need to meet the Millenium Development Goals (MDG) on HIV. He also helped out PGH to raise money for a new CD4 machine. Recently, Wanggo was also on the cover of positivism.ph, an on-line magazine about HIV/AIDS.

Despite being a more public figure now, Wanggo says life has remained mostly the same.

“Often times, I am introduced to people and when they hear my name, they tell me they know who I am and that they are proud of what I did.  It still amazes me how what I’ve done has affected people.  But I think the best support I get is the fact that I am not treated any differently – I have not been given special treatment and must carry my own weight as before.  I think not having a mentality of being sick has greatly helped my state of mind.  I think the first step in being healthy is having a healthy frame of mind.”

But most important to Wanggo is the change personally knowing someone living with HIV has brought about in others.

“People have told me that my disclosure has helped them realize that it can happen to anyone and that if they have the same lifestyle as I used to have, they are at risk.  Some people have told me that they have begun to take better precautions while others have found the courage to take the test.  I’ve spoken to a few people who are living with the disease and have started to open up about their condition to close friends and family.  To stop living with the secret — I think that’s important as well.  But, from what I’ve noticed, people are talking about it more – HIV, sex, sexual practices – which is healthy and helps spread awareness.”

World AIDS Day 2009 was shot on location at Victoria Court, Pasig.

Production Crew:

• Photography by: Mitch Mauricio
• Styling and art direction by: Alcs Porras
• Make-up by: Ana  Santos
• Hair by Ruel Papa of L’Oreal Professionnel Paris 

Sex and Sensibilities would like to thank DKT Philippines, Victoria Court Pasig, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and Outrage Magazine for supporting the Dare to Bare: World AIDS Day 2009 campaign.