Diagnosis & Management:

• Introduction

• Contents

• Disclaimer
  Please read before using the guidelines

• Clinical assessment guidelines

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Safer sex guidelines - more details

Sexual practices and risk levels for STDs including HIV infection

When counselling patients about safe sex, it is important to remember that STDs such as genital herpes, genital warts, pubic lice (crabs), and scabies are not necessarily prevented by condom use and may be transmitted by close body contact alone.

• There is negligible risk for activities which do not involve transfer of body fluids, eg kissing, masturbation, massage.

• Oral sex (cunnilingus, fellatio) poses a high risk for transmission of herpes simplex infection but its risk for other STDs is poorly defined.

• Vaginal and anal sex pose a definite risk for all the STDs.

• Condom use reduces the risk of transmission for all STDs.

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