The Better2Know Blog

When you’re worried about the prospect of having an STI, it’s easy to look at the world of medical testing and get a bit confused.

But Better2Know is here to demystify the world of STI testing and make it easy for everyone involved to understand.

PCR testing is one of the main testing tools we use to detect STIs. But how does it work?

Keep reading to find out.

Most discussions of the transmission of STIs tends to focus on heterosexual encounters – women who have sex with men and men who have sex with women.

While this is understandable since they make up the majority of encounters, less attention is paid to the risks and needs of people who have same-sex encounters. Indeed, many researchers have drawn attention to the dearth of research related to STI transmission between women.

One query, which we at Better2Know have come across frequently, is whether women who have sex with women are less likely to contract an STI.

Is this true?

Let’s find out.

Blood in the urine can be a very concerning symptom to experience. But this symptom is surprisingly common. Around one in five people examined by a urologist will be diagnosed with bloody urine.

What can this symptom mean, and should you be concerned?

Bloody urine can be a sign of various health conditions, from fairly benign conditions to some that are very serious.

Keep reading to find out more.

Conceiving can be very difficult for many individuals and couples. There are all sorts of conditions and lifestyle choices that can hinder one’s ability to get pregnant.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can seriously affect your fertility. But there is one infection that not many people may consider a serious concern for fertility issues.

A lot of research has been conducted in recent years around the effect HPV can have on fertility. Should you be worried?

Keep reading to find out.

When most people think of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), they think of the virus that causes genital warts – a symptom that is, for the most part, benign.  

However, years of public health messaging have helped draw clear connections between HPV and negative health outcomes, particularly for women.

Aside from incidents of genital warts, certain strains of HPV have been connected with cervical cancer. Around 95% of all cases of cervical cancer are caused by HPV. In the UK, vaccination rates in women in their 20s have reduced incidents of cervical cancer by around 87%, according to a study conducted by Lancet in 2021.

But this good news hides an unfortunate trend.

When most people think of STIs, they tend to think of infections that affect the genitals. However, one of the lesser-known aspects of some STIs is that they can infect several parts of the body.

One STI that can infect many parts of the body is Gonorrhoea, which can infect the genitals, eyes, throat, and even the rectum.

But how does this happen?

If you’re concerned that you may have an anal Gonorrhoea infection, keep reading to find out more. The more knowledge you have, the more effectively you can respond.

Face rashes can come in all shapes and sizes, and not all of them are harmful or necessarily something to be concerned about. A face rash, can be here today and gone tomorrow.

Face rashes are usually caused by something, whether it’s an allergic reaction to new clothes, an outbreak of acne, or an insect bite. Some face rashes can also be caused by STIs.

If you have a face rash and you’re concerned about whether it may be caused by an STI, keep reading to find out more about what may have caused it.

Contraception is a vital part of maintaining your sexual health. While it can be instrumental in helping to prevent unplanned pregnancies, it also plays a crucial role in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

However, it’s important to note that not all forms of contraception provide protection against STIs. That’s why it’s essential to use the right type of contraception for your lifestyle and circumstances and to combine this with regular STI testing.

In this blog, we’ll review several different types of contraception you can use, how they help prevent STIs, how they can be used, and who should use them.

Defining sexual relationships is far from a one-size-fits-all endeavour. Sex can be a deeply personal and often complex matter that can have a profound impact on our lives.

At Better2Know, we understand the importance of being clear about we mean when we talk about “sexual relationships”.

In this blog post, we aim to unravel the intricacies of sexual relationships, explore their diverse forms, and shed light on the potential risks they may entail. By fostering an open and non-judgmental conversation about this topic, we hope to empower our readers to make informed decisions about their sexual health.

Consistent groin pain can be really worrying. When you get it, it’s natural to wonder if something serious might be going on.

While not all instances of groin pain indicate a serious problem, it’s crucial to be aware of what might be causing it. And one of the more common causes of groin pain is STDs.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the various STDs that can cause groin pain. We’ll also discuss other potential causes, ensuring you have a comprehensive understanding of this complex symptom.

Let’s get started.

For many, sexual health can be a difficult topic to discuss. Yet, it’s an integral part of our overall well-being.

Whether you’re curious, concerned, or simply seeking information, Better2Know is here to help. We aim to provide clear, concise, and non-judgmental information about sexual health to everyone who may need it. We believe that knowledge is power, and with the right information, everyone can take control of their sexual health.

So, what is sexual health, and why is it so important? Let’s dive in.

Sex can often be a minefield. Negotiating health, emotions, and relationships can tax even the most carefree person. Love, indeed, isn’t for the faint of heart.

This minefield can become all the more explosive when sex enters the mainstream discourse, introducing the spectre of collective judgment about our most intimate acts, thoughts, and feelings.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the current discourse surrounding the idea of “body counts”.

So, what’s going on here? What’s a body count, and why is everyone talking about it? And how does it relate to STIs?

Keep reading to find out more.

It’s the type of thing that could happen to anyone.

You meet someone, and you bring them home. Just as you’re getting intimate, you notice something suspicious on their genitals – maybe a bump, a sore, or some strange discharge.

Should you proceed with your sexual encounter or call it a night?

Turns out you don’t have to decide for yourself. There’s an app for that.

Chlamydia, a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis, is one of the most prevalent STIs globally. It’s sometimes called “the silent STI” because of its ability to go undetected for long periods of time.

While the infection is often associated with infidelity or having multiple sexual partners, the reality is more nuanced. It’s entirely possible to contract Chlamydia within the confines of a committed, monogamous relationship, even without any act of unfaithfulness.

In this blog post, we’ll explore how someone can catch or transmit Chlamydia despite remaining faithful to their partner.

Condoms are a great contraceptive tool that allows people to enjoy sex while minimising the risks of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies.

However, there are a lot of misconceptions out there about condoms, how they can be used, and what risks using them can entail.

Specifically, we often hear causes for concern around condoms causing yeast infections.

In this article, we’ll examine the possible link and arm you with information to make informed choices about your sexual health.

Maintaining your sexual health is a vital part of most people’s lives. While this can mean being mindful of sexually transmitted infections, it also means taking control of other aspects of our sexual health in order to maintain our overall health.

Smear tests are a great tool for preventing serious long-term health conditions. It’s important for women to get regular smear tests throughout their lives to get a clear view of their health.

But some people worry that other conditions can get in the way. In particular, we often hear people ask whether thrush can prevent women from getting a smear test. But is this true?

In this article, we’ll address this question and cover everything you need to know about getting a smear test.

When you’re talking about STIs, it can be tough to keep your facts straight. There are many different STIs a sexually active person can get and many more ways they can get them.

There’s a lot of information about HPV out there, and it can be difficult to know what to keep in mind – what’s fact and what’s fiction. And there can be many different questions about HPV, namely, whether HPV can be transmitted from kissing.

While the answer to this question may seem straightforward, it’s not as simple as you might think.

Keep reading to find out more.

When you’re sexually active, you need to be concerned about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). But as you may know by visiting our website and reading our other blog posts, you can get an STD in all sorts of ways – not just through sex.

Sex toys are great tools that help couples experience pleasure and increase intimacy. However, just like sex, sharing sex toys carries a certain amount of risk.

STDs can stay on sex toys – that’s how they transmit when you’re using them. But how long can an STD stay on a sex toy?

Keep reading to find out!

Relationships are hard. For a romantic relationship to be sustained in the long term, you need trust, mutual respect, and understanding. And very few things can disrupt relationship harmony more than the spectre of an STI.

However, contrary to what many people may think, someone can get an STI without cheating.

Find out more about how this is possible and what you can do if it happens.

No one wants to get a sexually transmitted infection. However, for any sexually active person, STIs are a fact of life, something you have to consider in order to maintain your own health and the health of those you care about.

So, if you’re interested in finding out how to prevent STIs, keep reading.

Managing your sexual health can be a full time job. With the constant worry of sexually transmitted infections and other health concerns, it’s easy to overlook the role that stress plays in our sexual well-being. One condition that is often linked to stress is cystitis.

But can stress really affect your health so much that it can cause infections like cystitis? Keep reading to find out.

When talking about sexual health, it’s common to encounter your fair share of myths. There are lots of stories out there about all the different ways you can get a sexually transmitted infection. Some have merit while others aren’t worth paying attention to.

At Better2Know, we want to provide you with the best possible information about STIs so that you can make informed decisions about your sexual health.

One question that comes up often is whether it’s possible to get an STI by giving a hand job. Despite what you may think, the answer to this question is much more nuanced than you might expect.

A sexually active person needs to know a lot to protect their sexual health. After all, the risks of being sexually active don’t just begin when you enter the bedroom. They can exist with even the most casual forms of intimacy.

One common myth out there is that you get Chlamydia while kissing. But is this true?

In this blog, we’ll cover what Chlamydia is, how it’s spread, and what you can do to protect yourself from this STI.

As much as we might wish it were otherwise, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) need to be at the forefront of the mind of anyone who is sexually active. That means you need to know about the various ways your health can be affected, and what infections you may be exposed to when having sex.

If you’re sexually active, you need to know about the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV, the virus that causes Genital Warts, is the most common viral STI in the world and infects millions of people every year. It is estimated that 90% of men and 80% of women who are sexually active will catch an HPV infection during their lives.

But how likely are you to get it, and will you certainly get the virus if your partner has it?

In this blog, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about getting Genital Warts, and what you can do to protect yourself. So, let’s get started.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sometimes called sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), cause all sorts of symptoms. But one of the more unnerving symptoms of STIs can be pimples.

So, how can you tell if these pimples are a symptom of an STI? Keep reading to find out.

Having a physical symptom you don’t know the cause of, can be very concerning. This is especially true if the symptom is green discharge coming from your genitals.

If you’re experiencing green discharge from your genitals, you may have an STI, and it’s important to seek medical attention as soon as you can.

In this blog, we’ll discuss what STIs are, how they spread, and what causes green discharge from the genitals. We will also cover what green discharge is composed of and how the STIs that cause it are treated.

Medical professionals may have a new weapon in the fight against dangerous sexually transmitted infections.

A new drug called zoliflodacin – developed and tested by a partnership between the Global Antibiotic Research & Development Partnership, a Swiss nonprofit, and Innova Specialty Therapeutics, a US-based company – has undergone promising trials to treat Gonorrhoea infections.  

When it comes to taking care of your sexual health, getting regularly tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is crucial.

However, some people might wonder if the way you get tested is different based on your sex. Is getting tested different for men than it is for women?

In this blog, we’ll touch on what STIs are, how they’re transmitted, how they’re detected and tested, and how STI testing might be different for men than it is for women.

So, if you’re a man looking to prioritize your sexual health, keep reading to learn all about STI testing. If you are a woman, you might just find this interesting too!

Syphilis is an incredibly serious sexually transmitted infection (otherwise known as a sexually transmitted disease, or STD) that has been wreaking havoc on people’s health for centuries. From Henry VIII and Oscar Wilde, to the average man and woman suffering from the infection, Syphilis has caused untold damage over the years to thousands of people old and young, and from every stratum of society.

So, it makes sense that people would want to recognise the signs and symptoms of Syphilis. If you know you have Syphilis, you can get it treated and cured, before it seriously affects your health.

In this blog, we’ll cover what Syphilis is, the various stages the infection takes, and how you can recognise the signs and symptoms so you can get tested.

When it comes to sexual health, protection is paramount. Condoms are widely known as one of the most effective means of preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancies.

However, a common question often arises: can condoms fail without breaking?

In this blog, we’ll explore the various factors that can lead to condom failure without visible damage, and the potential risks involved. Understanding these factors will empower you to make informed decisions about your sexual health.