health&beauty
SEXUAL
HEALING
… make sure you only catch the girl
Bit of a cavalier attitude to the old dental dams? Think it won’t happen to you?
Maggie Allen reminds you why it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to sex.
You’ve been out for a night out, and met the girl transmitted diseases. Although we have a low risk
of your dreams. You decide to go back to hers for a of catching HIV, there are plenty of other Sexually
night of unbridled passion. You try out all the sexual Transmitted Infections (STIs) that can be passed from
positions listed in the lesbian Karma Sutra, and invent woman to woman whenever bodily contact occurs
a few of your own new moves. Since you are having and/or fl uids are passed. Stonewall’s Lesbian
sex with women, you’re confi dent there is no risk of & Bisexual Women’s Health Check (2008) found
you falling pregnant, and minimal risk of catching that less than 50% of lesbian and bisexual women
anything. After all… safer sex is a heterosexual issue, have ever been screened for STIs, but half of those
isn’t it? Well, that’s what you thought – but now who had been screened had been found to have
you’ve woken up two days later feeling itchy in the an STI and a quarter of those women had only had
nether regions, with more culture in your vagina than sex with women in the last fi ve years. Lower risk
The Guardian arts section… obviously does not mean there is no risk! So, time
to get genned up on the main STI culprits and how
Let’s face it: lesbians and bisexual women are great at to have safer sex before picking up something
sitting in a false state of complacency over sexually unwelcome!
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Genital warts are caused by the Next on the list is Hepatitis can also be initially symptomless.
Genital Herpes Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). – inflammation of the liver. A vaccination is possible for those
Passed by skin-to-skin sexual This virus is sub-categorised as at risk of infection from Hep. B.
contact from one woman to Hepatitis A, B & C. Hep. A can HIV is also a blood-borne
another, 80% of the population be caught from anal contact, so virus, but has hardly ever been
are carriers, though many will if rimming is your thing, you’re transmitted during sexual contact
94
never show any symptoms. at risk. Hep. B & Hep.C are with women, and so lesbians are
Warts appear in or around blood-borne viruses and are considered a low risk category.
the vagina and anus. Treatment passed in vaginal fluids, saliva and
commonly involves cryotherapy menstrual blood. Moist action
and antiviral creams. during a period, needle or
Genital herpes is caused by the blood play, fingering with
Herpes Simplex Virus. Look out a cut on your hands
for small, fluid-filled blisters on or or oral sex with a
in the mouth, nose, vagina or anal cut in your mouth
area that are itchy and tingly and or vagina makes
burst easily. Herpes is transmitted you more liable to
through sexual contact: mutual picking up Hep.B
Hepatitis B
masturbation, fisting, sharing sex or C. It’s also worth
toys and oral sex with a partner remembering that
(especially if they have a cold this virus can live
sore!). Highly infectious, it’s easily for up to nine days
passed during girl-on-girl action. outside the body!!
Treatment involves relieving the Symptoms may include
pain and taking antiviral tablets.
Genital Warts
jaundice, but the infection
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