The medical checks you need to do so as not to ruin your return from vacation!
Summer, as we know, is the season of relaxation, fun and… sex!
Barcelona is an international tourist destination and it is not difficult to make encounters that can develop into temptations and obviously into pleasures.
Casual sex on vacation is not a taboo and we often let ourselves go, perhaps moved by the euphoria, alcohol, soft drugs (or not!)…
Overwhelmed by passion, or somthing else, the only downside is sexually transmitted diseases.
Autumn can be a very bitter season after summer transgressions especially when, since there hasn’t been adequate self-protection through the use of condoms since the beginning of the relationship, we can find ourselves with various sexually transmitted diseases, with different appearance timese.
Let’s find out together what are these diseases that can be contracted in unprotected sexual intercourse, how to prevent them and how to remedy them.
I interviewed DR. VIGUER ROVIRA PEDRO ANTONIO, from the Gynecology department of the Amedics Medical Center with the intention of helping you to experience a holiday, certainly full of pleasures, but well informed.
Q – Dr. Viguer, what are sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) ?
A – Sexually transmitted diseases are those than can infect people by practicing sex in different forms.
Q – What symptoms do they show, i.e. how can the positive patient for these diseases recognize that he is affected by them?
A – There are different symptoms ranging from the perception of burning or pain in the pelvic area or abnormal secretions from the genitals such as leucorrhea (vaginal secretion of white-transparent semen) and different forms of redness or burning lesions in the genital, anus and mouth areas as well as ulcers.
Q – I have heard of a “window period”. What does it mean?
A – The “window period” is the time between the infection – at the time we had the risky relationship – and the manifestation of the signs and symptoms (called the incubation period).
For example, gonococcus occurs rapidly in 3-5 days causing the appearance of an itchy type of discharge in men, or yellowish discharge in women is almost always misinterpreted as vaginitis.
For major and serious infections such as syphilis, the first sign, syphiloma, appears 40 days after infection.
For other like the papilloma virus we could wait a few months.
Therefore it is local that in the autumn we could have the appearance of the infections contracted in the summer.
An unwelcome gift that can be avoided by using a “gift of love” or the use of a condom.
And obviously periodically carry out a general check with STDs exams.
Q – How are checks carried out and where can I carry them out in Barcelona with complete tranquillity and guaranteed results?
A – These are tests that are carried out in a simple and practical way through the analysis of blood, urine and urethral or rectal swabs.
Q – Studies show that it is not only the LGBT community, in living a freer sexuality, that is more exposed to the risk of STDs infection.
Statistically, the greatest cases are found among heterosexuals, especially women. What advice can you give for greater prevention?
A – The condom limits the contagion from mycosis and bacterial diseases. The important thing is to place it before sexual intercourse, avoiding contact between the genitals.
Obviously knowing your own clinical status and that of the person with whom you are having sex is a good formula for experiencing sexuality in a free form and for this reason we always suggest periodic medical check-ups, at least every 3 months.
Q – In addition to the use of condoms, there are vaccines that can helps us reduce infections from sexually transmitted diseases: what are they and how are they perfomed?
A – Currently the vaccines in use are related only to Hepatitis A and B and against VPH or the papilloma virus, but there is a medical protocol for pre-exposure to HIV.
Q – What are the risks of Hepatitis A, B or HPV if not chronic?
A – It is important to carry out periodic analyzes in order not to incur chronic forms and liver and cervical neoplasms, pelvic infirmities up to cancer.
Q – Tourists who come to Barcelona and experience sexual encounters freely and are willing to go home without worries about sexually transmitted diseases, what should they do?
A – Get in touch with the Amedics Medical Center to carry out the tests: it is very important to trust the assigned doctor by communicating the reasons for the tests, without any shame.
Explaining the type of sexual relationship can help to quickly resolve any doubts and, obviously, any necessary medical treatments.
