Tips for help with STIs

anonymous, about 1 year

i had genital warts for over 8 months. although information i found online and by my doctor was useful i still felt alone and scared. i constantly worried about them and at times felt physically sickened by them. i promised myself that when i was rid of them i would write this message to anyone else who may be suffering from them! you are not alone! and they do go away!! i was with my partner for a couple of years, a few years after we split i felt a couple of small lumps on parts of my vulva. after examining myself with a hand mirror i thought they were just small spots and they would go away in a week or so!! unfortuntely this was not the case and they became bigger in size! So around a month after first feeling them i decided to go to the local sexual health clinic! please please if you notice anything unusual down there go to the doctors or sexual health clinic straight away it never hurts to be safe and if i had gone sooner i believe they would have gone away quicker!! I was examined at the clinic by a nurse (if you dont want to be seen by a male doctor you will have to ask for a female while booking your appoinment!!) she confirmed they were definitely warts and prescribed me warticon which is a cream that you apply directly to the warts! please use a cotton bud when applying the cream as you dont want to touch them with your hands!! make sure you wash your hand before and after use!! you have to apply the cream every other day for five days a week and have to wash the cream off in the morning after use!! i found it difficult in explaining why i was gettin a bath every other morning!! after a month of using this the warts were still there and gaining in numbers! so i made my way back to the clinic where i was treated by the same nurse who reccommened i now came in for a freezing treatment! at this point my self esteem had gone right down and i hated the warts! i didnt even want to look at them or feel them when applying the cream so the freezing treatement seemed appropriate as the nurses would do it all for me!! the cyrotherapy (the official name for it) was just a cold blast directly on to the warts! it stung and was very uncomfortable but was bearable!! i found it painful to sit down afterwards though!! after around 2 months of this twice a week the warts were still there getting larger in number and in size!!! i would actually cry in the clinic because they upset me that much!! i couldnt understand why i had them, i hadnt slept around i had one boyfriend! who i did tell but hadnt come with me to any of the treatments!!! i couldnt tell my mum or my sisters my friends anyone, i felt dirty. i thought everyone i walked past secretly knew!!! I began seeing a male doctor who was more clued up then the nurse!! which was hard at first as i hated the thought of a man looking at them!! but i got used to it and he did suggest a new treatment, aldara. this was similar to warticon but was aimed more at fighting the hpv virus rather than the actual visiable warts!! you apply the cream 3 times a week and agian wash it off in the morning! this cream hurt! my vagina was constantly sore and red! it would sometimes hurt to go to the toilet, i couldnt stand to touch it!! it was a stinging sensation which sometimes would flare up and be painful when sitting down! if this happens to you i found warm baths, drinking lots of water and going for a run would help a lot!! i used the cream for 2-3 months and at times they got smaller!! i ran out of cream eventually but due to work commitments i coudlnt get to the clinic for a repeat prescription for a few weeks. the warts soon got larger and at one point i would say i had around 30 warts of all sizes! although you may think i was being dramatic i had nights when i would want to just cut them all off myself!!! i was absoultley disgusted with myself!! I got to the clinic finally! and just cried. i was also fearing cervical cancer. the doctor sent a letter to the gynocholgist to book an emergency appointment to remove the warts my surgery or laser them off. after two weeks with no word i returned to the clinic where they sent yet another letter to the gyno. i asked for some more aldara cream while i waited for an appoinment. the letter didnt arrive for at least another 3-4 weeks. and AMAZINGLY in this month the warts got smaller, disappearing one at time. i was so happy! i recieved my letter and decided to still attend the apponinment for a final check up!! that was a few weeks ago now and everything is fine! they are no longer there, no scars either!! i am worried they will come back but for the moment i am just going to be happy that this is no longer a worry in my life! i keep regular checks every time i get a shower i take a look to see if i can see anything. if i do every feel anything again i will make sure to go straight back to the doctors to get more cream! although painful aldara was effective!! i reserached this cream once and read a few reviews that this actually caused cancer which scared me!! but dont listen to this as i asked the doctors and this is definately not the case!!! its a cure not an enemy!! so please dont panic if you read anything like that!! lots of people pick up the hpv virus and it is just unfortunate if you get warts! but you are not dirty and they do go away!! if you have the opportunity to have the jab for hpv then please get it! not only will it prevent you getting these warts it is also a fight agaisnt cervical cancer!! If you feel you have no one to talk to ask to see someone at the clinic, there is always a nurse around who is willing to listen and give you a hug! but if you can tell a close friend then do it will be a huge relief to let it out! and not all hpv viruses lead to cancer. so do not worry if you have gential warts you do not have cancer and are no more likely to get it then someone without them!! like every other women you will need to have smear tests from the age of 25 and these will determine if you ever do have the type of hpv virus that is cancerous.and condoms will help prevent them! dont panic gential warts are irriating, they dont look or feel nice, they may put you off sex for a little while and can get you a little down! but your not going to die, you havent got cancer, your NOT dirty and THEY WILL GO AWAY!!! i hope this has helped somone! i know this is something i would have wanted to read when i had them. best of luck x

ian, about 1 year

if you don't want to go to Boots, the Terrence Higgins Trust and DrThom offer a joint postal testing and treatment service for genital chlamydia. The service costs £25 and if you test positive their doctors will treat you by post for free, unlike at Boots. You can find the service at http://www.drthom.com/partner/terrence_higgins_trust.php The service is regulated by the Healthcare Commission.

ian, about 1 year

if you don't want to go to Boots, the Terrence Higgins Trust offers a postal testing and treatment service for genital chlamydia. The service costs £25 and if you test positive their doctors will treat you by post for free, unlike at Boots. You can find the service at www.drthom.com The service is regulated by the Healthcare Commission.

jenna, over 2 years

my ex b/f turned up at mi house and tld me he clamidia,so sittin here now not know beacese i told myself no to worrie and then readin ths i can safly sat I AM goin to get it srted TOMRA X