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| Saturday, 01 May 2010 00:27 | |||||
Dear Ate Anna, Last week, I saw an interesting advertisement on the side of a bus. There was a giant bright yellow cup with a line saying, “pee in a cup.” Ate Anna, I am curious about this advertisement. What is this all about? Nelson Dear Nelson, We must admit that regardless of their age, people are fascinated with bodily functions. The phrase “pee in a cup” catches people’s attention. The “pee in a cup” campaign is being run by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. The purpose of the campaign is to raise awareness of the rising rates in Manitoba of two sexually transmitted infections (STIs) – Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. The campaign encourages men and women, especially young adults and teens, to “pee in a cup” and get tested for STIs. Manitoba has the highest Canadian per capita rates of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. The numbers of new infections continue to rise rapidly among teens and young adults between the ages of 14 and 25 years. There are also reported cases of pregnant mothers in this age group having passed an infection on to their newborn babies. Both Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are caused by bacteria. These bacterial infections can spread through unprotected (not using condoms) sexual contact with an infected person – oral, vaginal or anal sex. People who are infected may show some signs and symptoms. But, many peoplehave no signs or symptoms and they are not aware that they are infected. Even when signs and symptoms do occur, they are often mild, making them easy to overlook. Also, women are less likely than men to have symptoms. STI Symptoms include: For women:
For men:
Chlamydia and Gonorrhea can be treated easily and cured with antibiotics. Both sexual partners need to be treated at the same time so they don’t re-infect each other. People can get these infections more than once. It is important for people to be tested if they have had unprotected sex and could have come in contact with an STI. An untreated STI can cause serious health problems in the future. For women, it may cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) which can damage the reproductive organs (fallopian tubes, ovaries and uterus). This can lead to infertility. For men, the infection can spread to the reproductive organs (prostate and testicles), which can also cause infertility. Untreated Chlamydia and Gonorrhea can increase a person’s chances of becoming infected with HIV. An infected pregnant woman can pass the infection to her baby during birth, which can cause serious eye infections or blindness. The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority recommends STI testing if:
The test is simple and free. As the campaign tag line says, you just need to “pee in a cup.” You can go to your doctor, any walk-in or community clinic or teen clinic to get tested. Nelson, the surest way to prevent getting Chlamydia and Gonorrhea is to abstain from sexual activities. If you are sexually active, using a condom every time you have sex can reduce the chances of being infected. It is also important for you to get tested once a year, even if you don’t have any of the signs or symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease. For more information about Chlamydia and Gonorrhea, visit:
www.sexualityandu.ca
Take care, Ate Anna welcomes your question and comments. Please write to: Ate Anna, Suite 200 – 226 Osborne St. N., Winnipeg MB R3C 1V4 or e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Have a comment on this article? Send us your feedback
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