[Keturah]

Hello there

I am new to this forum, but have a topic that I think needs to be answered.

Sexually Transmitted Infections is not a new subject, but what is new, is the fact that studies from southeast London, where rates of sexually transmitted infections are seven times the national average, have shown that gonorrhoea and chlamydia are around ten times more common in people from the black Caribbbean ethnic goup than in the majority white population.

A similar picture has been found in other inner city areas like Leeds, Birmingham and Coventry and in non-inner city areas of southern England.

For instance, in southeast London, gonorrhoea and chlamydia are about ten times more common in the Caribbean community than in whites, and three to four times higher than in black Africans.

HIV infection is, however, more common in the black African community. The London Borough of Brent by far has one of the highest rate of STI's.

Many excuses and reasons are made about this, from men complaining that condoms aren't big enough to downright peer pressure. Instutional racism also may plays a role.

Furthermore, many within our community simply don't know they have an infection until it's too late.

Why is this going on? Aren't we sitting on a sexual timebomb here? Most black people have sex with other black people, despite the increasing numbers of mixed race individuals.

I would love to hear your views and opinions on this matter, as I feel we are sitting on a timebomb of mass genocide. I truly hope I am wrong, but the facts about STI's and black people tell me I'm not.

Please let me know what you think.

Love and Peace to all

Keturah

[Sooofresh]

@Keturah

If you go to the "enemy watch" thread, I think you will find the answer

Hint: it might be how they "diagnose black patient"

[Saint]

Well in my opinion, you have nothing to fear if you don't mess yourself about. But we knowthis is not always the case.

Even though it is possiblefor someone to be infected with this diseases through other means, but you will extremely be unlucky to get infected through other means apart from sexual intercourse.

@Soofresh: I don't accept that argument. why because , these diseases are not only common here, but they are common in Africa. They are also on the increase over there. The number oneway of transmitting these diseasesis viaSexual intercourse. It is on the increase in Africa, so it is here. You may say they produce the drugs used in Africahere, but they are diagnosed by Africans overthere and yet we have the increase because people continue to mess themselves about. The statistics may have been blown out of proportion, but we don't have to hide from the fact and try to cover these things. This is as a result of people messing themselves about and some not using protection. The disease is spreading fast and quick here, so it ison the Continent of Africa and even in Asia.

With the ways things are, there can only be an increase.The more peoplesleep about, the more the disease is spread to people, and the more the chances ofgetting infected.

[free]

Apart from it merely being an issue of people not practicing safe sex. It is also in part down to the woeful underfunding of the GUM clinics whilst the government asks that more of the public go in for routine testing, the opening hours, and facilities of GUM clinics tends to be apalling...yearly the number of people attending GUM clinics has risen by 15%...but the opening hours of many clinics, and the time that they take to process results play a huge role in the high rise in STD's...some people go as long as 8-12 weeks waiting for an appointment to be treated for a STD/STI...and hundreds of people are turned away from clinics each week

It is more than just worrying about HIV or AIDS there are diseases such as Chlamydia and Gonnorhea which can damage your reproductive organs and cause infertility (in both men and women).
In addition to this there are STDs/ STIs that can be caught without sexual contact...

For example Bacterial Vaginosis which is in the same family as Thrush...BV (Bacterial Vaginosis) can be caused by douching, use of perfumes, perfumed soaps, synthetic fibres and bubblebaths...BV can lead to inflammation of the Cervix and in more serious cases Pelivic Inflammatory Disease which can cause infertility...

@Keturah...with the statistics you do need to remember that London has a population of 7 million...although we should not play the probability rates...if you do not indulge in high risk sexual activities...practice safe sex...or even abstinence...if it is possible to do so...Once again the main reason for this 'sexual timebomb' is due to the issue of underfunding...and people not being reminded about the consequences of having multiple partners without using protection...

With the Chlamydia epidemic there needs to be an awareness that this is one of the silent diseases that has no symptoms...people need to be warned about the other sexual diseases rather than just HIV or AIDs

[Mafdet]

@Keturah

Lets not also exclude that there is a percentage that simply do not care.......many know they have a STD but they feel that facing it and taking on responsibility means having to deal with it and they just can't do that.

Yes there are men and women out there that do believe if they don't talk about it, it may go away or worst still if they are careful they won't spread it on. I remember doing a mailshot for a company that provided information on STD the Nurse who came to provide the information for the mailshot said the feedback from the people who walked in the door of her clinic seeking information was outstanding and this was not just teenagers.Some shrug it off and are quick to think a simple pill will take it away....take herpes for example this is also called the creeping disease because you can have it for years within your system and not know and then suddenly it creeps up on you and you can have a full blown outbreak of sores. Grown men and women rushing you to just tell them what pill to take to take it away the scary thing about that is even if there was a pill that could easily remove it would it change the behaviour of the person.......I doubt it :?