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Answered Questions

In the years since SmartSexResource launched, we have developed a library of questions asked by you, and answered by our expert sexual health nurses.

Our answered questions library cover a broad range of sexual health topics and common questions we hear at our clinics.

All Q&A (1024)

Does recurring pus on tonsils indicate an oral STD??

Hi there, thank you for your question.

No, pus on the tonsils does not necessarily indicate a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Chlamydia and gonorrhea of the throat are actually most often asymptomatic.

Pus on the tonsils is usually caused by commonly passed viruses. If you are concerned, you could visit your family doctor for an assessment. And if you have an elevated chance of getting an STI in the throat (ie. you are a person who gives oral sex to a person with a penis) then you could ask your doctor to test for chlamydia and gonorrhea of the throat to rule those out.

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse

Does acute symtoms specially fever of Hiv (after 2-3 weeks of exposure) respond to paracetamol? Can symptoms back if paracetamol wore off?

Hi, and thank you for your question

If an individual has a fever and other symptoms associated with HIV seroconversion, they may experience some mild relief with paracetamol (acetaminophen) however, this will not cure the symptoms, nor will it cure the virus.

If you are concerned about an HIV infection, the best thing for you to do would be to visit a health care provider (family doctor, walk-in clinic, or a sexual health clinic) and get an HIV test. If you are living in British Columbia, have a look at our Clinic Finder to locate a clinic in your area.

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse

I have been diagnosed with epididimytis and given ciproflaxacin. It doesnt seem to have cleared. I do not have chlamydia or ghonorea as i tested negative. Is there any tests to determine what is causing this and what antibiotic would be appropriate to use? Thank you.

Hi, and thank you for your question

I’m not sure where you got tested and treated, however in British Columbia the recommended treatment for epididymitis is cefixime and doxycycline. Treatment with ciprofloxacin is supported by the Canadian guidelines.

If your symptoms are persisting, I would revisit your care provider. Further assessment may be required, including a referral to a specialist to rule out other causes of your symptoms, especially given that your chlamydia and gonorrhea tests were negative. 

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse

I have been tested for stds and they came back negative. I noticed from googling that there is a bacteria called mycoplasma genitalium. I had some symptoms and am wondering if this might be the cause. How do i get tested for mycoplasma genetalium? Do i have to ask the physician?

Hi, and thank you for your question

Mycoplasma genitalium is a bacterium that can be sexually transmitted and in some instances can cause urethral symptoms in men, but often is asymptomatic. Many individuals carry this bacteria around normally and suffer no symptoms or harm from it, so we typically don’t test for it routinely.

There are many things that can cause urethral symptoms in men, or individuals with a penis. Those things can include sexually transmitted bacteria including chlamyida, gonorrhea and herpes. Non-sti microbes, such as the virus that causes the common cold passed through oral sex, can also cause these symptoms and are also harmless. Other irritants can include soaps, detergents, dehydration, yeast and fungal infections, and increased alcohol intake or nicotine use.

If all things are ruled out and urethral symptoms are persistent and bothersome, then certainly you could ask your family doctor for testing for mycoplasma.

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse

Hi,My partner and I are deciding whether or not unprotected sex might be an option for us. We are both up to date on usual STI tests and I use a copper IUD as contraceptive. However, in the past we have both had unprotected sex so technically speaking, we could have been exposed to HPV. Knowing this, should I change how regularly I get my Pap test done? For that matter, does having multiple partners change how frequently you should get pap smears?Thanks!

Hi, and thanks for your question

You do not need to increase or change how frequently you get PAP screening done. The BC Cancer Agency sets these guidelines based on the current research and best practice. Their recommendation currently is for screening every 3 years after the age of 25. If they find anything unusual or atypical on a PAP test, they will make a recommendation for more frequent follow up at that time. So unless recommended otherwise, every 3 years is perfectly fine for you.

It’s also important to keep in mind that HPV is incredibly common and there are approximately 150 strains of the virus, most of which cause no harm and present no symptoms. The majority of sexually active adults will have at least one HPV infection during their lifetime and not even know about it. In fact, HPV is so common that we often refer to it as the “common cold of the genitals.” Our HPV Patient’s Guide has lots of great information on HPV if you’re interested. 

The most important thing you can do for yourself is to get a PAP screen every three years. You may also want to consider the HPV Vaccine (Gardasil-9) if the cost is not too prohibitive.

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns. Health Nurse

I’m inquiring about birth control, I’m 16. I’m in a long distance relationship and have been for over a year, we’re both very happy together. We visit each other every few months, and as you could guess we do have sex when the time comes and always use protection. We’re both paranoid because we’re so far away from each other. So for next time we will be spending a few weeks together and I wanted to inquire about having extra protection. The issue is my mom doesn’t feel great about me taking it and I get nervous to talk to her. I’ve tried before but she always tells me about why I shouldn’t take it. Do I need parent permission to take birth control and if not would it cost me a lot? And what would be the best option for me? Thank you.

Hi there, thank you for your question

It’s great that you’re thinking about birth control as an added layer of protection for when you are together with your boyfriend. Even if you do decide to move ahead with some form of hormonal birth control, I encourage you to consider continuing to use condoms as an extra measure against sexually transmitted infections.

You do not need permission from your parents to access birth control in British Columbia. There are several different methods of birth control out there. Have a look at Options for Sexual Health as they have great fact pages on each different type.

One of the most accessible and most common types is the birth control pill. Typically it is easily accessible, safe, discreet, effective and affordable.

If you live in the Lower Mainland, you can access free or low-cost birth control options up to the age of 19. The nurses and doctors at the Youth Clinics will offer pre-counselling to go over all the options and help you decide which will be best for you. Here are the links to the Vancouver Youth Clinics, to the Fraser Youth Clinics and to the Vancouver Island Youth Clinics

If there is no Youth Clinic in your area, then Options for Sexual Health will be your best bet for accessing low-cost birth control.

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse

Hi, I have a concern regarding getting HIV. I had unprotected oral sex about a week back with a sex worker, who has been in this profession for a few years and is well-reviewed. I am freaking out now about getting HIV. Can you please advise what are the chances of getting HIV after receiving unprotected oral sex and when should I get tested (3 weeks i guess)? I did not have any sores on my genitals, and apparently she did not have any ulcers, wounds etc in her mouth, but of course, I am not sure about that. She did mention though that she does not have HIV but I am not sure whether to rely on her or not. We did not have any other form of sexual activity. Thank you.

Hi, and thank you for your question

The chance of getting HIV from oral sex is extremely low as indicated in our Know Your Chances charts and on our HIV and AIDS information page. If you are sexually active, we recommend getting tested routinely (every 6-12 months) for all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. The best time to test for HIV is 6-12 weeks after an encounter as it can take up to this amount of time for antibodies to be detectable if a person has acquired the virus.

I would add that simply because someone does sex work, this does not mean that they have HIV. In fact you have indicated that this person told you that they do not have HIV and that they are “well-reviewed” on their profile. Whether you engage in sexual contact with someone who does sex work, or with someone you met online or at any other venue, it is important to consider precautions you may want to take against infections. As already noted, oral sex is generally pretty low risk for HIV but other infections such as HSV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea can be more easily passed this way. Regardless of the partner, condoms are a good way to prevent or to decrease the chance of passing these infections.

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse

I had unprotected sex with a women (I am a male) and was contacted by her the next day – and she informed me she had chlamydia. I immediately went to a walk-in clinic and was informed that it could take about 72 hours to show up on the current STI tests. The doctor said that since I had been exposed to Chlamydia and couldn’t get checked within the following few days-week he would treat me and then I was to go and get checked after. I was treated with 1G azithromycin approximately 36 hours after this potential exposure. My question is: was this too early to treat? (Ie. If I did contract chlamydia – was treating this too early, or would this treatment have been successful?) I also haven’t been se ally active since. Thank you

Hello and thank you for your question.

That is great that you went directly to a clinic for treatment once you were named as a contact to a case of Chlamydia.  It is true that if it was only 36 hours after the potential exposure it would have likely been too early for the Chlamydia to show up positive on an STI test as the test is checking for your body’s antibody response to the bacteria and that time interval wouldn’t have given the body enough time to build enough of an immune response to be detectable on the test.  That said, treatment is appropriate at this time as the antibiotic it will still kill off the Chlamydia bacteria.  Please hold off from having sex for 7 days after treatment as it takes that long for all of the bacteria to be killed.

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse

I was taking the pills for chlamydia, and i missed my 2nd pill, 2 days in a row. I still continued to take the pills. Does that mean i’m not clear. Or since i kept taking them, i’m good?

Hi there, thank you for your question

As long as you finish all 14 pills and do your best to take a pill twice a day for the remaining duration of treatment you should be fine. There will be no need to re-treat. If you are concerned, you can return to the clinic for a “test of cure” 4 weeks after you started the treatment, to make sure the infection is gone.

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questionsor concerns.
Health Nurse

Hi I just want to know when is the best time of the day to take a StI test?

Hello and thank you for your question. 

For most STI tests there is not a preferred time of day to do the testing.  That said, when submitting a urine sample you need to have not urinated for at least 2 hours prior to giving the sample for an STI screen.

Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse