Times Are A Changin'..

It's been a while since I last blogged, things have been very busy at 'No Risks' HQ with various outreach events and tidying up for the end of the year. Normally at year end the service would continue as normal however this year has been our last year as the accountable provider of Sexual Health Services in Suffolk.

So, some of us may be moving on to pastures new and the service will be taken over by a new provider who I hope will go on to continue the amazing work that I feel has been achieved over the last 3 years.

For us it's sad times as we have worked our socks off to make 'No Risks' a recognisable and well respected brand, but all good things must come to an end and we are handing over the ropes from Sunday April 1st.

To everyone who we have seen over the past 3 years, THANK YOU for making them such good times, we have met some wonderful and truely inspiring young people and we have worked with some fantastic organisations, far far too many to name!

Remember, stay safe & use condoms and hopefully we will see you around sometime :)

Take Care,

No Risks xxx

Love Is In The Air !

So, V Day has been and gone! I hope you all spent the day feeling loved up and super happy!

Yesterday was a busy day for 'No Risks'; we kicked the day off with a Valentines Special at Wellington Children's Centre having a chat and a cuppa with the Breastfeeding Support Group, the heart stress relievers went down a storm, as did the packets of Love Hearts which were consumed by the lovely little ones who had accompanied their mums to the group yesterday!

After Wellington we moved on to Infobar in Ipswich, to work in partnership with the lovely lot at Catch22. We set the stand up with all of our lovely Valentines goodies and waited for the crowds... Unfortunately it was a bit of a quiet day, everyone was clearly off woo-ing their girlfriends/boyfriends, but we did chat to a few people who popped in and 3 wonderful young people registered for the C-Card which gives them access to free condoms in Suffolk, AND free Chlamydia testing. We also gave out some very cool heart shaped condoms to celebrate V Day!

Later in the evening our Level 1 network volunteers visited Rileys Snooker Hall in Ipswich for a Speed Dating event! Sadly, everyone seemed to be out enjoying themselves elsewhere and it was a particularly quiet 'do', however they did raise some awareness to those who were there and managed to do some Chlamydia screening too - Nice work Matt & Roberta :)



Roberta modelling our lovely heart condoms!

All in all it was a great day to raise awareness of safe sex and it was lovely to meet some new faces.. Whatever you were doing this Valentines Day I hope it made you smile :)

No Risks x

***STI Of The Week (or should that be month..) - SYPHILIS!***

My STI of the week blog seems to be turning into STI of the month, at best - apologies for that, there seems to always be lots to do and my blog falls by the wayside... So, this will be my last blog of 2011 - how the time has flown this year - and my carefully chosen STI of the *week* is....

SYPHILIS!

Syphilis is a bacterial infection that is usually passed on through having sex with someone who is infected. It can also be passed from an infected mother to her unborn child and, in rare cases, can be caught through injecting drugs.

There are three stages to the disease;
Stage 1 is known as 'Primary Syphilis' and is when symptoms appear as a painless but highly infectious sore on the genitals or around the mouth. The sore usually lasts between two and six weeks before disappearing.
Stage 2 is known as 'Secondary Syphilis' and is when a skin rash and sore throat may develop. These symptoms may disappear within a few weeks, after which you can experience a phase with no symptoms which can last for years.
Stage 3 is know as 'Tertiary Syphilis' and is the most dangerous stage as it can cause serious damage to the body. During this stage usually the infection has been in your body over 2 years, after which you are no longer infectious to other people. Although you are no longer infectious, you may still experience symptoms.

Luckily, Syphilis is one of the less common STI's although there was a peak between 2001 & 2004 in the UK. The disease usually spreads between men who have sex with men, however it is known that people with Syphilis are 3-5 times before likely to contract HIV.

If Syphilis is detected during its early stages then it can be treated with anitbiotics injections, however if it is not treated syphilis can progress to a dangerous form of the disease which can cause stroke, paralysis, blindness or even death.

Whilst wearing condoms can help reduce the risk of catching Syphilis, it can't prevent it totally as the infection can be caught if the mouth comes into contact with an infected sore, using a dental dam during oral sex may reduce the risk of this occuring. Regular checks at the GUM clinic for you and your partner will give you peace of mind that you are clear.

Remember, if you live in Suffolk you can register for the C-Card scheme which gives you access to **FREE** condoms and chlamydia testing, together with advice on STI's and self examination and MUCH more! To find out where you can register visit the C-Card page of the No Risks website.

For more information on Syphilis, or any other STI's please visit the No Risks website.

That's all for now folks.. Have a very Happy New Year and remember to STAY SAFE!!

No Risks x

**Christmas & Condoms**

The festive season is nearly upon us, and whilst I would like to remain in denial about the gifts I still need to wrap and work I need to do before we break for Christmas, I can't ignore the fact any longer.. it is pretty much here.

So what if you need condoms over Christmas? Or you think you may have an STI and want someone to talk to?

Well here in Ipswich you can still access 4YP - their opening hours for the festive period are as follows:

Whilst lots of places will be shut over the Christmas period, our Call Centre will be open from 8am until 8pm every day, including Christmas Day & Boxing Day, and will be able to book appointments for clinics once they reopen.

For any emergency contraception requests please call your local Out Of Hours GP service.

Take Care everyone and remember to stay safe this Christmas!

No Risks x