STIs with Janty and Jauncintha – True or Gammon – 7 minute video

Hey there and welcome to True or Gammon, Where we're going to answer all your burning questions about sexually transmitted infections or STIs. With me is Jaucintha, a deadly health worker from central Queensland. Jaucintha knows heaps about STIs. I bet you've seen some stuff. Hey. Hmm. 

So Sissy, my first question is True, Gammon are STIs fun to get? No, that's absolutely Gammon, STIs or sexually transmitted infections are infections that can be passed from one person to another through sexual contact.

They can have all sorts of health impacts if not treated. So they're not fun at all. In fact, they're the opposite of fun. Sort of like a comedian that crashes and burns when they're doing a stand up comedy gig. That's really not fun. Not that I'd know, anyway. So STIs aren't fun.

How do we avoid them? Unfortunately, you don't necessarily see STIs coming because STIs can be silent and some people may not have symptoms at all. But the good news is, with a little bit of information and care, STIs are preventable. That's a relief How? The number one tip is always practise safe sex. Use a condom. It's the best protection to stop most STI and pregnancy. Yeah, but you know what it's like Things get hot and heavy. You don't have one on you, the shops are shut or you're too far away from them. Surely just one little time without a condom is OK. Sex is normal and natural. And sometimes we might not use condoms for all different reasons. And that's OK as long as US women take responsibility to get ourselves tested. You may know who you've been with, but you might not know who that other person has been with. So whether it's a regular partner, a casual hook up, a friend with benefits, it's no shame for US women to carry condoms and be ready. They're easy to use and are the best way to stop you getting an STI. And remember, if someone tells you they don't want you to use them, give them Fellas the flick.

Is it true, or gaming though that for some Fellas, condoms are just way too small? Condoms come in all different sizes for all men. That's Gammon for sure. Hmm. A condom can actually fit almost 4 litres of water. That's four cartons of milk. So that's a lot of milkshake. Hmmm. And you can even stretch a condom to fit over your leg. So if any fella is telling you a condom won't fit, they're definitely gammon.

OK, there's definitely some fellas I need to have a yarn too. Later. Now next question, is it true or Gammon that you should be regularly checked for STIs even if you feel deadly? Definitely true. A lot of people don't have symptoms if they have an STI. So if you're sexually active, it's smart to get tested every three months or when you get a new partner to make sure

When you're pregnant, It's important our women go to their regular antenatal appointments. Our women need to get tested multiple times during their pregnancy, which is a lot. But it's really important to protect both mum and bub. And if you test positive, make sure your partner gets tested too so you don't get reinfected. OK, next question, what do you say if your friends catch you going to the clinic for a check up? You know, next thing that Murray Grapevine will be spread and yarn saying I'm dirty. There's no shame in being tested for an STI. It's important we look after our health, our well being and our community. So what if someone notices some yucky stuff down there and it gets really itchy? Like, what have they got to do? Stop having sex and don't wait to get tested. It's important to be tested and treated as soon as possible. So talk to your health worker or doctor and book yourself in. If you get shame, a local health worker or liaison officer can book you an appointment and even sit down with you during the appointment. Most of all, don't wait to get tested because no one wants to be walking around with itchy bits. Do you have to open wide? You know, look inside down there? No, not really. Testing is real simple. It could be an easy blood test or a quick urine sample or a swap yourself in the toilet clinic. If your clinic has rapid testing, you can find out your results on the spot and then get treated. But what if someone's a bit shame about it? Is it true or gamma that health workers laugh behind your back when you go in and get tested? That's totally Gammon. By law, all the information you share is confidential, so it's our job to keep it private and make you feel safe. There's no shame here. It's just like yarning with your girls. So lots of gossip without the gossip. Wow. So I've seen some things on the Internet that says your lady bits can turn blue from an STI. Is that true? Or Gammon? That is definitely gaming. But STIs can be serious and cause everything from itchiness to lumps, bumps and sores. If untreated, some STIs can cause damage to our reproductive system, which might mean you're not able to have babies if you're pregnant and test positive, make sure you and your partner get treated to prevent risks. For Barb, is it easy to get treated? Yes. Starting treatment right away is really important and depending on the STI can be as simple as taking some tablets. Well, that sounds pretty easy. What's not so easy, I guess, is telling your partner that you do have an STI. Is it true or gammon? Do I have to tell my partner if I have an STI? Definitely true. There's ways of doing this. Speak to your health worker, doctor or nurse who can contact that person if you're not comfortable and they won't share your information. You could have got an STI long before you two started hooking up and not realise it's important we look after each other's health. That's a good point. But how do we encourage our mob to talk about STI without it being ashamed? Job, we need to make it normal and we need to educate our mob about these STIs. Knowledge is key. We need to empower our women to be having safe sex and getting tested and feeling strong in our own bodies. There's no shame in staying safe or talking about sex too. Right to centre now bub. 

One more true or gammon am I the funniest comedian you've ever seen? Yes, sissy.