Sexual Health Screening in Ireland ....

[intoit]

List of clinics where you can be tested for free:

http://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/5/sexhealth/

Waiting time, anywhere between 10 minutes and 12 hours. Great we country

[Clueless]

I got tested last week - 1st time in 18 months - been a bad boy leaving it so long but all clear

[SWAI]

Gonorrhoea - Rates Increasing in Ireland


This is an info post about Gonorrhoea from GOSHH and SWAI. Rates of gonorrhea in Ireland are at their highest ever and doctors are concerned Gonorrhoea is becoming resistant to treatment. Resistance to the antibiotic used for treatment is highest in Ireland and Greece. As always our message is that prevention is better than cure. Unfortunately if Gonorrhea is left untreated (which may be the case if it is resistant) then it can cause serious problems including pelvic inflammatory disease, blindness or even death due to septicaemia (blood poisoning).

Read the info below as a refresher and find out the details of sexual health clinics around Ireland here: http://goshh.ie/sti-information-2/useful-contacts-2/

Gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection, which affects mucus membranes such as the inside of the penis, inside of the vagina, the inside of the anus or inside the mouth and throat.

Symptoms

Very often gonorrhoea goes completely unnoticed (although it can still be transmitted). Around 5-10% of men and 70% of women who are infected with gonorrhoea will have NO symptoms.

A white, yellow or green pus-like discharge from the penis.
Sore or swollen testicles.
Bleeding between periods and/or pain during or just after sex
A change in the natural discharge from their vagina which may increase in amount, become thin or watery and become yellow or greenish in colour
Pain when passing urine
Pain when defecating
A sore throat (only if infected in the throat)
Please Note – If you have developed a greenish discharge it is vital that you attend an Accident & Emergency department as soon as possible.

Transmission

As gonorrhoea develops on the head of the penis, and inside the vagina, anus, mouth and/or throat, it is easily transmitted by contact between any of these places.

- Through vaginal, anal or oral sex without a condom (OWO, CIM, COB)
- Through rimming (mouth to anus contact)
- Sharing sex toys or from fingers shared with each other that may have touched an infected area of the body
- From mother to baby during birth

Prevention

It is recommended that you avoid any sexual activity if you have been diagnosed with gonorrhoea until the infection has been treated and cleared.

In order to protect yourself and others from the general risk of infection, use barriers such as condoms, female condoms, gloves, and glyde dams.

Control

If you think you have been at risk, you can have a sexual health screen at a STI Clinic to receive treatment and to be examined for other possible infections.

Your sexual partner(s) may also need treatment as they may be infected even if they do not have symptoms.

It is possible to contract gonorrhoea more than once, therefore, we recommend regular sexual health screening for people who may be repeatedly at risk from transmission.

Treatment

Gonorrhoea is treated with a course of antibiotics.

It is very important to have check-ups after being given treatment as some strains of gonorrhoea are resistant to certain antibiotics.

Find your nearest sexual health clinic here: http://goshh.ie/sti-information-2/useful-contacts-2/

[SWAI]

The Sexual Health Service in Cork provides full HIV and STI screening every Wednesday between 5PM and 8PM. It costs €50 and you need to make an appointment ahead of time by calling 021 4275837. It is located at 16 Peters Street, Cork City and is a quiet and discrete place. You can give any name you like. They will not ask for I.D.

There is also a sexual health clinic in Victoria Hospital in Cork City. They do STI Screening for FREE by appointment only. The clinic is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings and just Thursday afternoons. They are busy at the minute so the only appointments available are towards the end of August. However, if you have symptoms or have a concern after unprotected sex give them a call and they might fit you in. 021 - 4966844 - I found them very friendly.

In my experience in sexual health clinics based in hospitals you can give any name, they don't ask for I.D. However, it's important you give real a phone number as this is how they will let you know if they find something in your tests.


Derv

[GOSHH]

The Sexual Health Service in Cork provides full HIV and STI screening every Wednesday between 5PM and 8PM. It costs €50 and you need to make an appointment ahead of time by calling 021 4275837. It is located at 16 Peters Street, Cork City and is a quiet and discrete place. You can give any name you like. They will not ask for I.D.

There is also a sexual health clinic in Victoria Hospital in Cork City. They do STI Screening for FREE by appointment only. The clinic is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings and just Thursday afternoons. They are busy at the minute so the only appointments available are towards the end of August. However, if you have symptoms or have a concern after unprotected sex give them a call and they might fit you in. 021 - 4966844 - I found them very friendly.

In my experience in sexual health clinics based in hospitals you can give any name, they don't ask for I.D. However, it's important you give real a phone number as this is how they will let you know if they find something in your tests.


Derv

Couldn't have written that better myself Dearbhla! Nice job!

[SWAI]

The Sexual Health Centre on Peter's Street is open to any member of the public. It is a non-profit organisation rather than a private clinic so that's why the tests are more affordable. The testing there is the same standard as in Victoria Hospital.

All testing in Ireland ends up in the same labs and are done to the same standard. So whether you pay privately, have them done in a HSE clinic or a non-profit organisation the tests will be similar.

[TheConnaisseur]

Hi Goshh,
Thank you for the extensive and detailed info!

[GOSHH]

The Sexual Health Centre on Peter's Street is open to any member of the public. It is a non-profit organisation rather than a private clinic so that's why the tests are more affordable. The testing there is the same standard as in Victoria Hospital.

All testing in Ireland ends up in the same labs and are done to the same standard. So whether you pay privately, have them done in a HSE clinic or a non-profit organisation the tests will be similar.

They are the same standard, but you might not get the same tests.The HSE clinics have a full screening service which covers over 20 different infections. The private GP clinics often only cover 5 or 8. It is good to ask exactly what are you being screened for.

Also...as far as i am aware....Gonorrhea samples need to be at the lab within 3 hours of being taken. If a GP or private clinic is not attached directly to a lab, this might be an issue. Always good to ask.

[DixonCider]

so the hospital is better yes??

[DixonCider]

also, the hospitals is totally anonymous if you want?