Information on STIs
Tuberculosis
Symptom Questionnaire

HEPATITIS

Hepatitis is a disease which affects the liver and is caused by a virus. The liver is one of the body's most important organs, helping to control many functions. These include the removal of drugs and alcohol from the blood, assistance with the digestion of fats and control of the production of certain enzymes which aid clotting & prevent bleeding.

Hepatitis can cause swelling (inflammation) of the cells in the liver and stop the liver from performing many of these tasks. There are many different forms of Hepatitis, but those that sex workers are most at risk are A, B and if you inject drugs C.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is passed on through shit (faeces), which has to be swallowed (ingested), so you are at risk from rimming (licking around the arse). You can also catch Hepatitis A through eating contaminated foods - shell fish caught off coast near sewer outlets, or food prepared by people infected with Hepatitis A who don't wash their hands after going to the toilet, then handle the food you eat! Many people who catch Hepatitis A are unaware because often they have no symptoms. Their body develop antibodies to fight the infection, which can be tested for by a blood test. However, Hepatitis A can causes flu like symptoms - tiredness, weakness, muscle aches and often diarrhoea and vomiting (like food poisoning), which occasionally leads to jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin & dark painful piss) tiredness and a lack of energy. However, a vaccine against Hepatitis A is available from your GP and some sexual health clinics, including the Working Men Project.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is easily passed on by fucking without condoms, sucking and rimming (arse licking). It can be found in all body fluids (cum, spit, piss, shit) so even just deep kissing someone with the virus can infect you. Safer sex which protects you against HIV doesn't always protects you against Hepatitis B - however vaccination will. A blood test can tell whether you need vaccination. The vaccine is a series of three simple shots in the top of the arm, given over a period of 3-6 months.

Often people with Hepatitis B infection develop only mild flu like symptoms, so many people don't realise they actually have the infection. However, about 20% of people do not recover from these flu like symptoms, develop diarrhoea and vomiting, and become jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin & dark painful piss). Of these, one out of every ten people who have Hepatitis B develop chronic infection, which can cause scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and a few each year in the UK still die from liver failure due to Hepatitis B.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is carried out in the blood and is passed on through blood to blood contact. In the UK it is mostly a problem for people who inject drugs and their sexual partners. Half the people who catch Hepatitis C will develop scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) . Unlike Hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccination against Hepatitis C. The best way to prevent infection is to always uses your own clean works (including spoons and filters) for injecting drugs, and condoms for fucking.

STI SYMPTOMS

This section of the site can be used as a simple 'self diagnosis' guide. If you have a symptom that you think might be a sexually transmitted infection (STI), read through the following questions and click on the answer which best fits your symptoms - this will automatically take you to the next relevant question, until you reach a possible answer to what might be causing your problem.

However, please remember, if you have any symptoms, do NOT IGNORE THEM - you need to attend a clinic and get them checked out properly.

MY DICK HURTS

Q1 - Do you have a anything leaking from the end of your dick (a discharge)

Yes
No

 

 

Q2 - What colour is the discharge?

Creamy/yellow
Clean/ white
Red/ Blood - seek medical advice immediately

 

 

Q3 - I have pain without leaking (discharge) - does it hurt when you piss (pass urine)?

Yes
No

 

Q4 - Do you have a sore (spot/ ulcer/ lesion) on you dick?

Yes
No

 

Q5 - Do you have more than one sore?

Yes - This could be Herpes
No - This could be Syphilis, although these sores usually cause no pain

 

Q6 - Are you pissing (passing urine) more than usual?

Yes - You might have Chlamydia / NSU
No

 

Q7 - Do you have a rash?

Yes
No - seek medical advice - need sexual health check up

 

 

MY ARSE HURTS

Q8 - Do you have anything coming from your arse (a discharge)?

Yes
No

 

 

Q9 - What colour is the stuff leaking from your arse (the discharge)?

Cream/yellow -this could be gonorrhoea
Clear/ white -this could be non-specific infection (proctitis)
Red /blood - seek medical advice urgently if heavy bleeding

 

 

Q10 - Do you have any lumps/sores?

Yes
No - You may have an infection inside you arse, in the rectum - you need to be checked at a sexual health clinic.

 

 

Q11 - How would you describe these lumps/sores?

1 or more fleshy lumps which are not painful but might itch slightly - this could be anal warts
1 or more painful blisters than develop into scabs - this could be herpes
a single hard lump which is not painful and looks like a spot - this may be Syphilis

 

 

I HAVE A RASH

Some infections which are sexually transmitted can cause changes to the surface of the skin, especially around the genitals (dick and balls), arse and in the groin.

Viruses such as Human Papilloma Virus (warts) and molluscum can cause growths or lumps in the skin which are painless but can look unpleasant and sometimes itch slightly.

Because the genitals are often covered, the skin there becomes warm and damp with the sweat, perfect conditions for fungal infections such as candida and balanitis, which can make the skin look red and blotchy and become very itchy.

Some paracites (small animals that live on large animals) can be passed on by close contact with another, such as sex or even just sharing a bed. Crabs (pubic lice) live on body hairs (pubic hair) and cause itching. Scabies are small bugs (mites) which burrow under the top layer of the skin, causing a very itchy rash (especially at night). Both crabs and scabies can be passed by sharing clothing , towels and bed linen, as they can survive for long periods, feeding on shed skin cells.

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CANDIDA & BALANITIS (THRUSH)

Caused by - a build up of fungus (thrush) on the skin, and over washing of the genitals
Symptoms - red and blotchy patches on the heads of the dick (balamus) under the fore skin or in the groin and around the arse (anus) often very itchy.
Passed on by - close contact, such as fucking without a condoms, body rubbing (frottage) and thrusting your dick between your partners closed legs (thigh fucking)
Treatment/prevention - Apply an anti-fungal cream. Aviod using harsh soaps and shower gels on the genitals, warm water is all that is needed to clean the skin.

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GONORRHOEA

Caused by - a germ (bacteria) which can live in the throat, dick or arse.
Symptoms - may included a sore throat, creamy coloured & painful discharge (leaking) from the dick or arse
Passed on by - sucking and fucking without condoms & arse licking (rimming)
Treatment/prevention - by taking tablets (antibiotics) and using condoms

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CHLAMYDIA & NSU (NON-SPECIFIC URETHRITIS)

Caused by - inflammation of the urethra (build up of germs/bacterial in the water passage). Chlamydia can also be found in the throat and/or arse.
Symptoms - pain when pissing (passing urine) and sometimes a clear discharge (leaking) from the end of the dick.
Passed on by - sucking and/or fucking without condoms, arse licking (rimming).
Treatment/prevention - by taking tablets (antibiotics) and using condoms

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SYPHILIS

Caused by - a specialised germ (bacteria) called a spirocete.
Symptoms - Syphilis is a long lasting disease with 3 stages. However the first stage is usually the appearance of a painless spot (lesion) on the genitals(dick and ball), inside the mouth or around the arse.
Passed on by - sucking and/or fucking without condoms, arse licking (rimming)
Treatment/prevention - by a series of injections with penicillin or by taking tablets (antibiotic) and by using condoms

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HERPES SIMPLEX VIRUS (HSV)

Caused by - a skin virus
Symptoms - HSV type 1 - coldsores (oral) herpes, painful sores of the mouth. HSV type 2 - genitoanal herpes, painful sores lesion/ulcers) on the genitals or around and/or in the arse area. Can be a single sore, but usually many, starts off like blisters.
Passed on by - oral kissing & sucking without condoms and/or fucking without condoms, or getting your arse licked (being rimmed).
Treatment/prevention - no cure, but tablets (antiviral) can help with symptoms and reduce pain. Sores normally last 7-14 days - using condoms for sucking and fucking, and oral shields (dental dams) when rimming (arse licking).

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HUMAN PAPILLOMA VIRUS (HPV- WARTS)

Caused by - a virus of the skin causing abnormal cell growth
Symptoms - small fleshy growths (lumps) around the genitals (dick and balls)especially along the shaft, in the groin, and around or inside the arse
Passed on by - activities which cause friction and spread skin cells, such as fucking without condoms, vigorous body rubbing (frottage) and thrusting your dick between your partner closed legs (thigh fucking)
Treatment/prevention - creams and lotions to help shrink the growth and then freezing (cryotherapy) therapy or electrolysis (diathermy) treatment to remove the warts - no cure - once treated, new warts may grow when you are run down or stressed. There is also a new cream available when more usual treatments have not worked, or the warts come back often, called Aldara (imiquimod), which stimulates the body's immune (defence) system to fight the warts virus - using condoms for sucking and fucking, and oral shields (dental dams) when rimming (arse licking)

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NON SPECIFC ANAL INFECTION (PROCTITIS)

Caused by - a collection of harmful bacteria (germs) inside the arse (rectum)
Symptoms - painful arse, diarrhoea or soft shit, a clear or white discharge
Passed on by - being fucked without condoms, getting your arse licked (being rimmed)
Treatment/prevention - by taking tablets (antibiotics) - using condoms when being fucked, or oral shields (dental dams) when your arse is licked (getting rimmed)

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CRABS (PUBIC LICE)

Caused by - a small insect (lice) which lives in body hair
Symptoms - itching, especially in the groin, on the chest & on the backs of legs. Rash sometimes caused by scratching. Lice just visible with the eye, look like small bits of black grit.
Passed on by - close contact such as sharing a bed, body rubbing, sex (even with condoms) sharing clothes and bedding, including towels and dressing gowns.
Treatment/prevention - apply a lotion to kill the lice, wash clothing

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SCABIES

Caused by - a small bug (the scabies mite) which burrows under the skin
Symptoms - very itchy rash, especially in the groin, under the arms, on the elbow & wrist and behind the knees. Often red track marks cab be seen where the mites have burrowed into the skin, between the fingers
Passed on by - close contact such as sharing a bed, body rubbing, sex (even with condoms) sharing clothes and bedding, including towels and dressing gowns.
Treatment/prevention - apply a lotion to kill the lice, wash clothing. May be given in additional some tablets to help stop the itching as the rash can take 10-14 days to heal even when mites have been killed.

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MOLLUSCUM

Caused by - a skin virus
Passed on by - close contact such as fucking without condoms and body rubbing (frottage) - much the same as warts
Symptoms - painless, small creamy coloured spots on the skin, especially in the groin, around the arse and the genitals.
Treatment/prevention - freezing (cryotherapy) treatment & piercing with sterile needle to dig out the core of the spot.

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I HAVE A SORE THROAT

Many sexually transmitted infections can be passed on through sucking (oral sex). Some, such as Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia may cause a sore throat - it is not possible to guess what the cause of your sore throat might be - so you need to be checked at a sexual health clinic.

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This section of the site was written by Justin Gaffney RN B.Sc.(Hons) Nursing (Sexual Health) ENB No.7, 276, 280 and 934 and checked by Dr. David Tomlinson MRCP.