Sexual Health
Welcome
Here you can find information to help guide you through sexual decision-making and figuring out what is best for you. If you still have questions feel free to contact Deacon Health and make an appointment by emailing apptdh@wfu.edu.
There is a lot of stuff to digest on here so take your time. It is always good to ask questions or refer back to the information on this website if you are unsure or confused.
SOME KEY TAKEAWAYS ARE
- Stay informed. Get to know the facts, dig a little deeper with some research, or ask questions!
- Communicate. Sexual health = communication, whether it be with a medical provider, your partner, friends, or others. Talking it out always helps.
- Get regular medical care. If you are sexually active, get tested regularly and consult your medical provider about birth control options, STI prevention, and other considerations.
- Practice Safer Sex. Use barrier methods (such as external and internal condoms, dental dams, and finger cots) every time you have sex to prevent STI transmission.
Sex Ed 101
On this page we include facts about safer sex and other important information you may want to consider when thinking about sex.
PAGE CONTENTS
What is the Safer Sex Express?
Safer Sex Express is a FREE condom and safer sex supplies delivery service for students living on the Reynolda Campus of Wake Forest University with a campus PO Box. Through a confidential online order form, students can order a variety of materials to be discreetly delivered to their campus mailbox within a week. The Safer Sex Express is a great way to try out and learn about new products.
Safer Sex Express supply ordering is now available.
FOR FREE, STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO REQUEST DIFFERENT BRANDS OF:
- External Condoms (traditionally referred to as male condoms)
- Internal Condoms (traditionally referred to as female condoms)
- Finger Cots
- Dental Dams
- Gloves
- Water-Based Lubricants
With the collaboration of three departments, the Office of Wellbeing, Deacon Health, and Women’s Center, Safer Sex Express is decreasing obstacles for students to use barriers while simultaneously increasing education around consent, the use of contraception, and sexual health.
Safer Sex Express was designed and created in 2019 by the Women’s Center in collaboration with Olivia Thonson, Sexual Health and Wellness intern.
Contraception
Contraception is a big part of safe sex and there are so many kinds it can be a little overwhelming. Below we include multiple types of contraception with a little information about each. This does not include all contraceptives and it is important to consult with a medical provider to help decide what is best for you and your body.
When it comes to contraception it is helpful to use both a barrier method and hormonal contraception to help prevent both STIs and pregnancy. Only barrier methods and abstinence prevent STIs.
Here is a little information to help guide you through this page:
THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF CONTRACEPTION:
Emergency Contraception: this type of contraception is used after sex under the circumstances that other preventative measures were not taken (eg. condom). Emergency contraception includes:
Hormonal/Pregnancy Preventative Birth Control: this type of contraception is used to prevent pregnancy, manage hormones, help with periods, and a multitude of other things. Some examples we include are:
- Birth Control Pills
- Implant (Nexplanon)
- Hormonal IUD
- Birth Control Shot
- Birth Control Patch
- Vaginal Ring
Barrier Methods: barrier methods are physical barriers that help prevent the exchange of bodily fluids and skin to skin contact. These include:
- Internal (female) Condoms
- External Condoms (most common)
- Dental Dams
- Finger cots/gloves
Contraception Options
Definition: Abstinence is when one does not participate in sexual activities. Anyone can practice abstinence for a variety of reasons and it is up to them to decide whether or not they want to be.
Effectiveness: 100% effective
Price: $0
Definition: Birth control pills are a medicine which is taken once every day at the same time. It prevents pregnancy by stopping ovulation; however, it also has other health benefits including helping with acne, cysts, and PMS. Birth control pills come with a variety of different dosages, talk to your doctor about what hormone dosage is right for you.
Effectiveness: If taken on time, it can be up to 91% effective
Price: $0 to $50 per pack
Accessibility: It is covered by most insurance, including Medicaid. A medical appointment and prescription is necessary.
Definition: Condoms are pouches, made of latex, plastic, or lambskin, that are worn on the penis during sex. They work to stop sperm from getting into the vagina and also prevent STIs by covering the penis which limits skin to skin contact.
Effectiveness: 85% effective
Price: $0 to $2
Accessibility: Condoms are sold over the counter at most stores. They are also available on campus for free through the Safer Sex Express, Deacon Health, Office of Wellbeing and the LGBTQ Center.
Definition: Emergency contraception is a safe and effective way to prevent pregnancy up to 5 days after having unprotected sex. There are two types, Ella and Plan B. It is not meant to replace regular contraception. A copper IUD can also be another form of emergency contraception; however, this requires a doctor’s visit.
Effectiveness: Most effective when taken the first 24 hours after having unprotected sex. Ella is most effective and works the same on day one through day five. Plan B, however, works best within 24 hours and each passing day leads to decreased effectiveness until the fifth day. The pill is not effective for people with a BMI of 30 or higher.
Price: $25 to $60
Accessibility: Plan B can be bought over the counter, but Ella requires a prescription. It is sold at Deacon Health for a discounted price.
Definition: The implant is a thin and small rod that is inserted into the skin of one’s upper arm. To prevent pregnancy it releases progestin, a hormone, and lasts up to 5 years.
Effectiveness: More than 99% effective
Price: $0 to $1,300 for insertion and removal costs $0 and $300.
Accessibility: It is covered by most insurance, including Medicaid. A medical appointment is necessary.
Definition: The internal condom goes inside the vagina or anus and provides protection from pregnancy and STIs.
Effectiveness: 79% effective
Price: $0 to $3
Accessibility: Internal condoms are available in stores, online and health centers. They are free on campus through Safer Sex Express and at the LGBTQ center.
Definition: A hormonal Intrauterine Device is a small device that is inserted into the uterus to prevent pregnancy. They can last from 3 to 7 years. The Hormonal IUD differs from the copper IUD in that it uses hormones to prevent pregnancy, can not be used as emergency contraception, and does not last as many years.
Effectiveness: more than 99% effective.
Price: $0 to $1,300 for insertion
Accessibility: It is covered by most insurance, including Medicaid. A medical appointment is necessary.
Definition: An Intrauterine Device is a small device that is inserted into a uterus to prevent pregnancy. Copper IUDs can last up to 12 years and do not have any hormones, instead, it has a copper component which makes the uterus and hostile environment for sperm. It can also be used as emergency contraception if inserted 5 days after having unprotected sex.
Effectiveness: more than 99.9% effective.
Price: $0 to $1,300 for insertion
Accessibility: It is covered by most insurance, including Medicaid. A medical appointment is necessary.
Definition: The birth control shot is an injection of the hormone progestin that you receive every 3 months in order to stop ovulation and if gotten on time can be very effective.
Effectiveness: 94% effective
Price: $0 to $150 every 3 months
Accessibility: It is covered by most insurance, including Medicaid. Medical appointments are necessary every 12 to 13 weeks.
Definition: The patch is placed on the outside of your body and is a safe and convenient birth control method. It contains estrogen and progestin and can be worn on your belly, upper arm, butt, or back. One pack lasts for 1 month.
Effectiveness: 91% effective
Price: $0 to $150 per pack per month
Accessibility: It is covered by most insurance, including Medicaid. It is easy to get, but a medical appointment and prescription are necessary.
Definition: The ring works by stopping sperm from joining an egg. It is worn inside the vagina and absorbs the hormones estrogen and progestin through the vaginal lining in order to stop ovulation.
Effectiveness: 91% effective
Price: $0 to $200
Accessibility: It is covered by most insurance, including Medicaid. A medical appointment is necessary in order to get a prescription.
Sexually Transmitted Infections
When talking about being sexually active we also have to consider the risk behaviors involved with it. One of these risk factors is contracting an STI. You may not be familiar with the term STI, most commonly we hear STD. There is no definitive difference between the two, one stands for sexually transmitted infections and the other, sexually transmitted disease. We use STI to help mitigate the stigma around STIs.
The transmission of STIs falls under two categories: Bodily Fluids and Skin-to-skin Contact. There are six body fluids as shown on this diagram with corresponding types of STIs. As for skin-to-skin contact, we have four forms. You may also notice that the types of STIs are color-coded: those in blue are treatable, which means you would have them for life but you can mitigate symptoms and spread. The others are curable meaning there are treatments that will cure you of the STI. This does not mean you can not contract the STI again after being cured.
HERE ARE SOME WAYS TO HELP PREVENT GETTING AN STI:
- The only 100% effective way to prevent contracting an STI is abstinence. Abstinence means a lot of different things for different people and that’s ok. For clarity, we define abstinence as not engaging in oral, anal, or vaginal sex, or in any sexual contact where genital to genital touching occurs or where sexual fluids might be exchanged. Abstinence is a viable option and the right choice for a lot of people. Today, we are only providing the knowledge so you can make the right decision for you.
- Get tested regularly – this would be with every new partner or every six months. Getting tested not only helps you be more aware of your status but also stops you from spreading STIs to others.
- Another important preventative measure is Communication – asking your partner when they were last tested and their results or saying something like “I was tested last month and came back negative what about you?” can help initiate the conversation. It is crucial to normalize this conversation.
- Finally, it is important to use protection while having sex. This would be in the form of a barrier method: external condoms, internal condoms, and/or dental dams.
STI info, symptoms, and treatments
Definition: HIV is the virus that can cause AIDS through breaking down cells in one’s immune system. Once you contract HIV, there is no way to cure it. Early identification, testing, and treatment is vital so that the virus can be suppressed, which can lead to a normal life expectancy. Without treatment HIV can lead to AIDS, which is the disease caused by the damage HIV causes to one’s immune system.
Spreads: It spreads through semen, vaginal fluids, anal mucus, blood, and breast milk.
Symptoms: it can take 10 or more years for any HIV symptoms to show.
In the first two to four weeks after infection:
- Flu-Like Symptoms
- Feverish
- Achy
- Sick
Later Symptoms
- Thrush
- Sore Throat
- Yeast Infection
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Feeling dizzy and lightheaded
- Headaches
- Losing lots of weight
- Bruising
- Diarrhea
- Swollen glands
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Purplish growths on the mouth
- Bleeding from the vagina, nose, and anus
- Rashes
- Numb feeling in hands and feet
Treatment Options: While there is no cure for HIV, Antiretroviral therapy, which is a combination of medicines, can help to slow down the effects of HIV and lower your chances of giving it to anyone else.
Prevention: Abstinence or use condoms and dental dams every time you engage in a sexual activity. Not sharing needles. There are also medications called PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) which can protect you from HIV. PrEP is a medication taken every day to prevent HIV- similar to the birth control pill. PEP is taken after a possible exposure to HIV for those not on PrEP to also reduce the risk of contracting HIV.
Definition: Chlamydia is a very common STI which is caused by a bacterial infection. It often does not have any symptoms, yet when diagnosed it is easy to treat with antibiotics. It can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, urethra, eyes, and throat.
Spreads: It is spread during sexual contact through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. The infection is carried in semen, pre-cum, and vaginal fluids. It is not spread through casual contact.
Symptoms:
- pain or burning while peeing
- pain during sex
- lower belly pain
- abnormal vaginal discharge (may be yellowish and have a strong smell)
- bleeding between periods
- pus or a watery/milky discharge from the penis
- swollen or tender testicles
- pain, discharge and/or bleeding around the anus
Treatment Options: Easily treated with antibiotics
Prevention: Abstinence or use condoms and dental dams every time you engage in a sexual activity
Definition: A common STI that is caused by a bacterial infection. Most people with gonorrhea do not have symptoms. It can infect the penis, vagina, cervix, anus, urethra, eyes (rare), and throat.
Spreads: It is spread during sexual contact through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. The infection is carried in semen, pre-cum, and vaginal fluids. It is not spread through casual contact.
Symptoms:
Most people with vaginas who get gonorrhea do not have any symptoms; however, the symptoms it could include are:
- Pain or burning feeling when you pee
- Abnormal discharge that may be yellowish or brown
- Bleeding between periods
- Fever
- Painful Sex
Most people with penises are likely to have symptoms which include:
- Yellow, white, or green discharge from penis
- Pain or burning feeling when you pee
- Swelling or redness at the opening of penis
- Pain or swelling in testicles
Symptoms of gonorrhea in the anus include:
- Itching in or around anus
- Discharge or bleeding
- Painful bowel movements
Treatment Options: Can be treated with antibiotics
Prevention: Abstinence or use condoms and dental dams every time you engage in a sexual activity.
Definition: A common virus that can cause sores on the mouth and genitals. More than half of Americans have oral herpes and can be caused by two different viruses herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). They can make sores appear on the vulva, vagina, cervix, anus, penis, scrotum, butt, thighs, lips, mouth, and throat
Spreads: Herpes spreads through skin to skin contact with infected areas. However, you can also spread herpes even if you do not have any symptoms. You cannot get herpes from hugging, coughing, or sitting on toilet seats.
Symptoms:
Genital Herpes Symptoms Include
- Blisters that break into sores
- Burning when you pee
- Itching
- Pain around your genitals
HSV-2 Gential Herpes Symptoms may Include
- Swollen glands in your pelvic area, throat, and under arms
- Fever
- Headache
- Chills
- Feeling Tired
Oral Herpes Symptoms:
- Sores or blisters around lips and mouth
Treatment Options: You can take medicine to make outbreaks shorter and not painful, however there is no cure.
Prevention: Abstinence or use condoms and dental dams every time you engage in a sexual activity.
Definition: A bacterial infection that is cured with medicine but can be dangerous if not treated in time. It causes sores on the gential area which are usually painless and can infect the vagina, anus, penis, and scrotum.
Spreads: Through skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal, and oral sex. It can also be passed during pregnancy and childbirth.
Symptoms:
- First sign is a small sore that appears at the spot where bacteria entered your body and develops around three weeks after exposure
- Secondary signs could be a rash that covers your body including hands and soles of the feet. At this point, some people may experience hair loss, aches, fever, sore throat, and swollen lymph nodes. If not treated, symptoms can appear and disappear.
- The disease can cause damage to brain, nerves, eyes, heart, liver, bones, joints, and blood vessels if not treated in time
- Headache
- Stroke
- Meningitis
- Hearing loss
- Visual problems, including blindness
- Dementia
- Loss of pain and temperature sensations
- Sexual dysfunction in men (impotence)
- Bladder incontinence
Treatment Options: It can be treated with antibiotics, such as an injection of penicillin. A doctor’s visit and prescription are necessary.
Prevention: Abstinence or use condoms and dental dams every time you engage in a sexual activity.
Definition: HPV is the most common STI. There are more than 200 types of HPV that can affect the genitals, mouth and throat. Gential Warts is a form of HPV that is very common and most warts will go away on their own. Some types of HPV can lead to certain types of cancer.
Spreads: Through skin-to-skin contact usually during sex
Symptoms:
- High-Risk HPV does not have any symptoms, however some forms of HPV cause cancer
- Penile cancer
- Anal cancer
- Vulvar cancer
- Throat cancer
Treatment Options: To get tests contact a doctor’s office for a PAP Smear/HPV test. There is no treatment or cure for HPV but further testing such as a colposcopy and cryotherapy.
Prevention: Abstinence or use condoms and dental dams every time you engage in a sexual activity. The vaccine for HPV is also recommended for individuals up through the age of 26 to help prevent HPV and its complications.
STI Testing
Sexually Transmitted Infections, or STIs, are infections that spread from one person to another during sexual activity. STIs are very common and many people that have them do not show any symptoms. However, without treatment STIs can lead to health problems in the future. If you are sexually active, it is important to get tested regularly.
ON-CAMPUS TESTING
- Deacon Health offers HIV and STI testing.
OFF-CAMPUS TESTING
- Planned Parenthood
- Novant Urgent Care
- FastMed Urgent Care
- OBGYN
- Primary Care Physicians
Communicating with your Doctor
Questions to ask your doctor about your sexual health
- What’s the medical name of the infection I have?
- How, exactly, is it transmitted?
- Will it keep me from having children?
- If I get pregnant, could I give it to my baby?
- Is it possible to catch this again?
- Could I have caught this from someone I had sex with only once?
- Could I give this to someone by having sex with that person just once?
- How long have I had it?
- I have other health conditions. How can I best manage them together?
- Should I not be sexually active while I’m being treated?
- Does my partner have to go to a doctor to be treated?
Questions to expect from your doctor
- What symptoms made you decide to come in? How long have you had these symptoms?
- Are you sexually active with men, women or both?
- Do you currently have one sex partner or more than one?
- How long have you been with your current partner or partners?
- Have you ever injected yourself with drugs?
- Have you ever had sex with someone who has injected drugs?
- What do you do to protect yourself from sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?
- What do you do to prevent pregnancy?
- Has a doctor or nurse ever told you that you have chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis or HIV?
- Have you ever been treated for a genital discharge, genital sores, painful urination or an infection of your sex organs?
- How many sexual partners have you had in the past year? In the past two months?
- When was your most recent sexual encounter?
Pregnancy resources
QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT:
- Are you doing anything to prevent pregnancy?
- What are my options for birth control?
- Where can I go that will offer me the support that I want?
- Does the organization you are going to for support give referrals for all options?
Pregnancy options
- Become a Parent
- Adoption
- Abortion
TERMS
- “Pregnant and parenting”
- Students of all genders can be pregnant and can be parents. We use this term to be inclusive of men, women, transgender and non-binary students who are pregnant or parenting.
- Prenatal Care
- Program of care for a pregnant woman before the birth of her baby.
- Crisis Pregnancy Center
- An organization established to counsel pregnant women and people. These centers are usually religiously affiliated and could be a resource for those who have chosen to continue with their pregnancy or adoption. While these centers do provide support, look to other resources for medical advice. Those who are confident in their decision to terminate their pregnancy should avoid these centers.
- Abortion
- The deliberate termination of a human pregnancy.
- Emergency contraceptive
- A safe and effective pill taken after having unprotected sex in order to stop a pregnancy before it starts. They are sold at a discounted price at Deacon Health.
- Fetus
- An unborn offspring, from the embryo stage until birth.
PREGNANCY RESOURCES
- Planned Parenthood
- 3000 Maplewood Ave Ste. 112, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
- Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of people worldwide. They provide STI Testing, pregnancy tests and resources, and general health services. Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers of high-quality, affordable health care, and the nation’s largest provider of sex education. With or without insurance.
- Novant Health
- Various locations in Winston-Salem.
- Offers free screenings, affordable classes, and educational tools to help you stay informed about your health. STD/STI testing and Pregnancy testing.
- Family Services
- 1200 S. Broad Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101
- When an unplanned pregnancy occurs, Family Services is there to confidentially help with all of your decisions. There are on sight therapists that can help you plan for all your needs. If you cannot get to their office, they can meet you at your home or in another place where you feel comfortable.
- North Star LBGTQ Community Center
- 930 Burke St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
North Star is partnered with a variety of national and local organizations and is dedicated to “To foster community across intersecting identities through advocacy, compassion, education, and service.” They provide monthly free STI/STD testing, Safe Zone Trainings, a Trans Clothing Closet, and an on-site library.
- Safe Office – Confidential
- University Counseling Center – Confidential
- Office of the Chaplain – Confidential
- Deacon Health – Confidential
- LGBTQ Center – Reporting
- Women’s Center – Reporting
- Intercultural Center – Reporting
- Title IX Office & Deputy Coordinators – Reporting
- Office of Wellbeing – Reporting