Whilst the end of the traditional summer holiday season is coming up fast, there are a lot of places to see and events to go to around the world throughout late autumn, winter and into spring.
Whenever you go on holiday, the best place to go first is a pharmacy that specialises in travel health services to ensure that you keep safe, happy and healthy when abroad, allowing you to focus more on enjoying yourself in your destination.
One particular risk that is often not associated with travel health is the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection whilst abroad.
According to TravelHealthPro, up to 20 per cent of travellers will hook up with a new partner whilst on holiday, in situations that may increase the risk of unprotected sex.
With growing concerns surrounding antibiotic-resistant strains of certain common STIs, prevention is significantly better than cure.
With that in mind, here is what you should do before, during and after your holiday to avoid contracting STIs.
Before Your Journey
When you go to a travel clinic to check if you need any additional vaccinations or country-specific medications, ask your pharmacist about STI prevention when on holiday.
Most STI advice is relatively universal, but there are some regions where there is a higher risk of certain infections, such as HIV, hepatitis B, human papillomavirus, antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea and others, and this could lead to additional recommendations when it comes to preventative treatments.
As well as this, if you are travelling without a steady partner, it is worth assuming that casual sex is a possibility even if you are not travelling for that purpose, and to focus on making sure you take any precautions possible.
Take condoms with you and ensure that they are used effectively. Whilst condoms are available in most countries, in some areas it can be more difficult to buy them than in others.
Both male and female condoms are highly effective at preventing STIs and are the only form of contraception that can protect against STIs such as HIV consistently.
Finally, get an STI test before you travel. Many places offer at-home testing kits, and the results typically take less than a week, so it will give you peace of mind that you are not infectious yourself.
During The Holiday
The best way to protect yourself from STIs is by abstaining, but if that is not an option, make sure you have condoms with you. It is always better to be safe than sorry, especially when having sex with a new partner, a casual partner or someone you know to have an STI.
Try to be careful, particularly if you are drinking or taking substances, as this can affect judgment when it comes to condom use.
Make sure you use condoms properly. Do not use more than one at a time, do not reuse them, and make sure they are properly and safely applied. With some types of condoms, you may need to pinch the top to ensure that there is no trapped air that could risk them splitting.
If you are having a longer-term holiday, make sure to continue to use protection, and be aware of where you can access emergency contraception and sexual health treatment if required.
If you start to notice symptoms such as green or yellow discharge, unusual bleeding and pain when urinating, avoid all sexual contact and seek treatment as soon as possible. Many STIs can be managed if treated promptly, but can also lead to serious health complications.
When You Return
If you have any sex without a condom whilst travelling abroad, get an STI test as soon as possible, even if you are not currently experiencing any symptoms.
Many STIs are easily treated when diagnosed quickly, so get tested, consult your GP or a sexual health clinic and take any treatment that you are prescribed. Many STIs are treated with antibiotics, and it is vital that you take the entire course to ensure the infection is gone from your system.
Avoid any sexual contact when you get back until you get the all clear. Even if you feel better or have no symptoms, you could still risk infecting others.
Make sure that you let any sexual partners who may have been exposed to the infection know that you have been diagnosed.
This is not always an easy conversation, but some sexual health services have an anonymised contact tracing message service that helps to make it easier. After all, the important part is ensuring people know they are safe.