Are LGBTQ+ Individuals Really More Likely To Contract STDs?
Types of STDs | Telehealth Screening | Prevention
If I’m Gay, Am I More Susceptible to AIDs and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)?
Even though HIV and AIDs can be contracted by people of any sexuality, it has been associated with the gay community for as long as we can remember. Is it really true that gay sex increases the chances of HIV and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)?
Singapore has laws equipped to protect against sexual violence, but the same cannot be said for sexual health related issues in the medical landscape. Trying to claim for an STD (after probably sneaking around to find a clinic inconspicuously) might put you in a difficult situation when it comes to claiming for health insurance. To top it off, we all know the government’s stance on LGBTQ+ (ahem, 377A) so it is safe to say that the sexual health protection for LGBTQ+ individuals is lacking.
So, we hope to inform you of the types of (STDs) that the LGBTQ+ community is more at risk of, and the places you can go to seek medical help when needed. We hope that this helps to improve the transparency and reduce the secretiveness of sexual health-related issues when it comes to the LGBTQ+ community.
What STDs are the LGBTQ+ community more prone to contracting?
STDs at risk for Male to Male sex
These include:
HIV
HIV is spread through blood, semen, or rectal fluids. Around the world, MSM are 26x more likely to get HIV than the average. This could be due to the nature of male to male sex, and the likelihood is increased by: having unprotected anal sex, gaps in HIV testing, and PrEP usage.
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection that can cause urethritis in men, infection in the rectum and throat, and rashes and joint pain around the body. It is transmitted through sexual contact with the penis, mouth, or anus of an infected partner.
Syphilis
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that exists as painless ulcers in the initial stages but can progress on to affect more organs when more serious. It can be transmitted anal or oral sex.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
HPV can be spread easily through anal, oral sex, or through other close skin-to-skin touching during sexual activity. HPV infections usually go away on their own, but if they don’t, they can cause penile and anal cancer in men. Therefore, a good way to prevent HPV from developing is to get regular testing.
STDs at risk for Female to Female sex
These include:
HIV
HIV is spread through blood (including menstrual), vaginal fluid, or by oral sex, if someone has cuts or sores in their mouth, and even poor oral hygiene
HPV:
HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact with someone who has it (ie: genitals and genitals or genitals and mouth/throat), or by sharing unsanitised sex toys. While it is harmless most of the time, HPV can be linked to cervical cancer, hence it is something that one should avoid.
Bacterial Vaginosis is a vaginal infection caused by an overgrowth of bacteria, and it can be passed from female to female during sex.
Wait, is it true that LGBTQ+ individuals have increased risks of contracting STDs?
Unfortunately, this is quite true, and can be traced to “biological” and societal reasons.
Biological reasons
Receptive anal sex is 18x more risky for HIV acquisition than receptive vaginal sex
The risk of acquiring HIV during an act of unprotected anal intercourse is estimated to be 1.4%.
Anal sex is riskier for gay men because they are both more likely to engage in penetrating and receiving (role variability), and this causes the exchange of infected rectal fluids to be much higher.
Prevalence of HIV among sexual partners of gay, bisexual, and other MSM is 40x that of sexual partners of heterosexual men
Coupled with a smaller percentage of the population that openly falls under the LGBTQ+ community, the pool to choose from for casual sex and partners, in general, is smaller due to its more hidden nature, often making sexual partners more interconnected. This creates the opportunity for HIV and other STDs to spread more quickly.
For lesbian and bisexual women, the risk of contracting STDs are comparable to heterosexual women, but they are more susceptible to serious health risks
These include heart disease, uterine, breast, cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers. This is attributed to the lower likelihood of gay women having a full-term pregnancy, hence depriving them of the natural hormones released during pregnancy and breastfeeding that help to protect against many forms of female cancers.
Societal reasons
LGBTQ+ individuals are less likely to go for routine health screenings due to fear of discrimination
A trip to the doctor’s to check for sexual health-related screenings often requires one to disclose their sexual activity, and one’s sexual orientation might be a fact that is concealed because people do not want the quality of health care they receive to be affected in the event that their healthcare providers are homophobic, which is a very real possibility in a traditional and culturally conservative society like Singapore’s.
By delaying or not receiving any diagnosis, the risk of an acute infection turning into something more serious will be amplified,
There are a ton of physical clinics you could visit in Singapore to test for Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), but if you are afraid of making that trip, you could visit these Singaporean telehealth startups to get your routine checks!
STD Telehealth Screening
Ferne Health
Ferne offers a myriad of testing kits suitable for both men and women. From common STDs such as HIV and Syphilis to kits that can be used after seeing abnormal vaginal discharge, your samples are self-collected in the privacy of your own home and mailed in at your convenience, ensuring a stigma and discrimination-free experience!
They’re also working on rolling out new services, some of which include hormone testing, prescription medication, and supplements.
Ease SG
With a mission of making access to sensitive health services convenient, affordable and discreet, Ease provides a range of services that include telehealth consultation, at-home STD tests, and selling birth control. Medicine will be prescribed and can be delivered to your doorstep within 4 hours!
Of Noah
Dedicated to male health, Of Noah has partnered with multiple established doctors in the field to bring you discreet consultation and personalised treatment from the comfort and privacy of your own home.
Other than sexual related medical issues, Of Noah also offers products to treat hair loss and online therapy to help males cope with their mental health.
How can I prevent STDs?
The best thing to do to avoid ever getting an STD would be to ensure that the right protection is in place so that the possibility of contracting STDs as an LGBTQ+ individual is significantly decreased.
Use condoms and barriers
By using protection, the bodily fluids (that carry the bacteria or infection) you come into contact with will be decreased, and this also lowers your chances of catching these infections. Other than condoms, dental dams can be used especially for oral or anal sex.
Practice monogamy or limit the number of sexual partners
Similarly, the number of people you come into contact with (and the number of people they come into contact with, in the case where both of you have multiple sexual partners) can really cause the spread of STDs to increase exponentially within your circles.
Therefore, being monogamous is truly one of the best ways to avoid STDs. Other things that one can do is to be honest with new partners about their sexual history, and if you do use sex toys, it would also be more hygienic to change your toy with every new partner or sterilise and clean thoroughly.
Get tested regularly
Even with the right protection, regular testing is another step you can take to be certain you do not have any hidden infections. And if you do, regular testing allows you to catch the infection at an earlier stage, making recovery speedier and easier.
Prevent HIV through Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP)
PrEP pills. Credits to HealthLine
If you are HIV-negative and do not consistently use condoms or are at higher risk of exposure to HIV, consider taking Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).
It is an oral regimen of 2 drugs that can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading in your body. It can either be daily doses or on-demand. Taking PrEP daily can increase protection from HIV by 92-99%, but do note that it will not protect against other STDs. Therefore, you may want to use both PrEP and condoms to protect yourself. Approach a medical professional for advice regarding starting and taking PrEP. For more information, check out UequalsU’s post!