Online Pharmacy give away 1,000s of condoms in the run up to World AIDS Day

Shocking figures released ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December reveal that roughly a fifth of those who have HIV in the UK, are unaware they are even carrying the virus.

Public Health England accumulated data from 2012 that shows 21,900 people out of 98,400 with HIV in the UK do not know they have it, with new cases reported in gay mean spiralling to an all-time record of 3,250 during last year.

Gay men account for the majority of people who have HIV, followed by black African men and women. Heterosexuals accounted for approximately 45% of new HIV cases in 2012; 2,880 in total.

Although it appears overall figures have decreased since 2011, the charity Terrence Higgins Trust have called for more action to be done to prevent the virus spreading, beginning with National HIV Testing Week, which runs from 22-29 November leading up to World AIDS Day.

World AIDS Day is an annual event dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and has been supported numerous times by Medical Specialists Pharmacy, and this year is no different.

This year Medical Specialists are giving away literally thousands of Skins condoms to all patients who obtain any sexual health products between 22 November and 2 December. Whether this be a clamelle chlamydia test kit, the antibiotic azithromycin for chlamydia and gonorrhoea treatment, or viagra, you will receive plenty of condoms…for free!

“Reducing undiagnosed HIV is now the single most important step we can take to halt the spread of infection in this country,” said the Terrence Higgins Trust’s acting chief executive, Paul Ward.

Mr Ward added: “Some communities are already making headway in this. Among gay men, testing rates are up, diagnoses are up, and as a result undiagnosed infection is coming down. Because of community-wide initiatives like National HIV Testing Week, hundreds more people with HIV now know their status, helping them access life-saving treatments and drastically reducing the chance of them passing the virus on. We’ve come so far, but we have to keep going. We know testing works and treatment works; all we need is the individual commitment and public funding to make it happen. If we can get this, we can turn the tide of the epidemic.”

Many people see ‘HIV’ as an abbreviated disease that they hope they never contract, whilst not actually understanding a lot about what it is, who is at risk, or the dangers of letting the virus go untreated.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks the immune system; our body’s natural defence mechanism against infections and disease. Health Protection Agency statistics from 2010 showed 95% of UK diagnoses stemmed from sexual contact, typically not wearing a condom during sexual activity is the cause. Sharing infected needles, syringes or other drug paraphernalia are also risk factors for HIV.

After infection, symptoms usually take between two to six weeks to arise and they include the common flu symptoms such as fever, sore throat, tiredness, muscular pain and also you could develop a body rash. If you believe you might be at risk then you should go for a test immediately and do not delay.
Delaying vital critical treatment can be fatal and somebody diagnosed at a late stage is actually nine times more likely to die within twelve months of receiving their diagnosis compared to somebody who gets tested and diagnosed at an early stage.

If HIV is left untreated or insufficiently managed, HIV then develops into AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). At this stage the body is no longer able to fight off life-threatening infections due to the severe damage inflicted to the immune system.

National HIV testing week is a hugely important week and Medical Specialists hope that people shed the stigmas attached to HIV and AIDS, and to get tested immediately if they think they might be at risk. There is never any shame in seeking help for anything, especially when it comes to your health, and it could just save your life.

Contraceptive pills now as popular as condoms among under-15s

Although according to the law they shouldn’t even be having sex to start with, new figures to be published show that the contraceptive pill is now as popular as condoms among under-15s for the first time ever.

The figures are part of a report compiled by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), which demonstrate an interesting variation in contraception trends and preferences around the country.

More teenage girls than ever are now preferring to use oral contraceptives to avoid unwanted pregnancies, although health experts are still trying to hammer home the important message that condom use should still be maintained to safeguard against the vast number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

In March of this, year shocking statistics emerged that showed in the previous three years more than 15,000 under-16s were diagnosed with STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and genital herpes.

At the time, Lisa Powers, policy director at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “We are suffering in this country from poor sexual health. This is partly down to the fact that we have had generations of people who have not had sex and relationships education in school. Young people are under more pressure than ever before because they do not just learn about sex in the playground, but also on the internet. Young people are not being taught about the dangers of having sex without a condom.”

The HSCIC report states that in 2012, around 6,600 young girls under the age of 15, or 39% of those who attended NHS contraceptive clinics, said the contraceptive they used was the pill. In comparison, 6,900 (40%) had used condoms.

Usage of oral contraceptives has continued to rise in recent years and have always been popular in older teenage and adult groups. Contraceptive pills such as Dianette and Yasmin are two popular examples, with each also incredibly effective at treating acne and hirsutism.

However, it is only now that first the pill is now comparable to condoms among under-15s.
For instance, figures from in 2011-12 show condoms as a primary contraception method for 46% of teenagers at the clinics, whilst only 36% listed the pill.

Jason Warriner, clinical director at sexual health charity the Terrence Higgins Trust, believes it would make sense to have regular STI screenings for those prescribed contraception.

He said: “The good thing is young teenagers are accessing contraception services, going on the pill or getting something like the implant. But it is vital to make sure when they start on a form of contraception they are offered an STI screening at the same time and are given advice about using condoms in addition to their chosen form of contraception. It is about using condoms to reduce the risk of STIs and HIV. The key message is for people to regularly get tested, when they change partners and ensuring their partners are tested as well. I would like to see every woman who is on the pill offered STI screening each time they receive a repeat prescription, every three to six months. For girls under 15, they fall within the national chlamydia screening programme, but that only tests for one infection. The key message is about prevention, using condoms to prevent getting an infection and building that around your contraceptive needs.”