If you are looking towards the NHS for your STD test London has in excess of 30 Genito-Urinary Medicine clinics, also known as GUM clinics, around the capital, all of which are free to attend. However, these become rather busy and, for men looking for the ultimate in service and discretion, seeing one of the private GP services may be preferable.

Whether you attend an NHS or private STD clinic London based services are sure to treat you with the respect and confidentiality you deserve. Most clinics have in house advisors who can discuss any issues about your sex life with you and who are able to advise you on vaccinations and tests that you should be considering. As well as an STD test London practices tend to offer gay men the Hepatitis B vaccination and in some cases will offer Hepatitis A vaccinations too.

At the majority of clinics you will need to phone and book an appointment in advance. For NHS clinics, the waiting time can be around a week or so, although this does vary from one practice to another. In many cases, if you let them know at the time you book the appointment that you are a gay man, they will give you priority for an appointment. There is also an option to attend a walk-in clinic where you should be able to get an appointment on the day. However, if you plan to do this, you should make sure you arrive early to avoid waiting for prolonged periods of time.

For those looking to see a private GP London clinics can sometimes see you within a day or two. For situations where you are particularly worried about something, they may even be able to see you on the same day. If you are getting an STD test private clinics can often express process your results, meaning you can know where you stand far sooner than at the NHS GUM clinics. If you are having an HIV test you can usually get the results on the same day.

If you think you are at risk of an STD and in particular HIV, it is important that you contact a clinic as soon as possible. Fast action can mean you are eligible for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medication, which is a course of medication lasting 28 days. This may help to prevent you becoming infected with HIV if you believe you have been exposed.

Leading environmental and climate researchers predict not only an increase in some of the world’s most critical diseases but also an intensification of the symptoms and strains of the diseases. The diseases most likely to be directly affected by global warming include Malaria, Dengue, Lyme Disease, Tuberculosis and HIV. It is thought that the ecological changes brought about by global warming will alter strains of some diseases which will in turn cause them to intensify and become more infectious. It is therefore more important than ever to ensure you check which countries are likely to be most affected by a. global warming and b. any of the above listed diseases. Our travel clinic London can check all of the details against your travel plans to ensure you are adequately protected and if holiday vaccinations need to alter in the future as a result of global warming, you can be assured that we will be at the forefront of any required changes.

Environmental changes brought about by global warming will almost certainly result in significant population upheaval; this in turn will cause poorer areas of the world like refugee camps and slums to become extremely over crowded. Geographical areas with an abnormally high population density increase the facilitation of disease transmission, in addition the malnutrition and poverty often suffered by individuals residing in such areas, makes them far more susceptible to infection. Major epidemics of disease are nearly always a direct result of population and environmental upheavals.

Global warming is also highly likely to increase mosquito borne diseases – climate changes brought about by global warming will create a more mosquito-friendly habitat. It is therefore likely that incidences of global malaria will increase, our travel clinic London are experts in dealing with this debilitating viral disease. There is a direct linear correlation between temperature increases and mosquito development, development of the malaria virus and mosquito biting prevalence – all of these factors increase contact and biting rates.

At CityDoc we not only offer all the services you would expect to be associated with a top travel clinic London or private travel clinic but we also keep up to speed on all factors affecting the prevalence of tropical diseases, so that our patients can have the peace of mind to travel without concern.

6. Avoid Drink and Drugs

Many irresponsible sexual encounters stem from the use of alcohol and drugs. These substances impair your ability to make controlled and sensible choices. If you know you are going to be using these substances and think there is any chance this could lead to a sexual endeavor – try to always remember to carry protection either on your person or at home. The largest incidence of patients visiting our clinic for a STD test London is through alcohol related indiscretions.

7. Its OK to say No!

There is no shame in saying NO! It could save you a lot of hassle in the long run and it may even gain you a little respect.

8. It is your responsibility to protect yourself – don’t rely on your partner

Another reason we hear from a lot of patients when they come in for a sexual health check, is that it’s the man’s responsibility to carry condoms or the women’s job to ensure she is on the contraceptive pill. Your sexual health and protecting yourself from visits to our STD test London is your responsibility and no one else’s.

9. Please Yourself

Human beings have sexual urges and desire sexual intercourse – it’s a perfectly natural feeling, however jumping into bed with someone just because you desire sex can have quite devastating consequences if you do not protect yourself. No one is safer than you, so learning to please yourself can be a good way to overcome this problem – no need to go without!

10. The Brain is the Most Important Sex Organ

This is where the pleasure you experience through sex stems from. This is also where the thoughts regarding safer sex stem from.  Make sure you use it wisely to consider safer sex in the future.

We hope our articles covering top tips to avoid a STD test London have been of help. We have tried to pass on our experience from dealing with patients who visit us with STD’s on a daily basis. Here’s to enjoying a healthy and happy sex life!

The 3 important factors in avoiding contraction of a sexually transmitted disease are to first know yourself, then know your partner and thirdly – understand how to practice safe sex.

1. Safe sex is about ALWAYS practicing safe sex

There are so many options when it comes to practicing safe sex and making sure you stay out of the Gum clinic. From the male and female condom – there are plenty of options to suit most people. The most important part about these barriers is that you use them every single time you have sexual intercourse and not just now and again!

2. Get yourself tested regularly at our STD clinic London

If you’re in a new relationship or you have had unprotected sex, get yourself tested and encourage your partner to do the same. It only takes the once to contract an STD.

3. Try and stay mutually monogamous

If you and your partner can agree to only have sex with each other, there is no opportunity for either of you to contract an STD outside of your relationship. Once you have both been tested, ensure you maintain fidelity in your relationship. If this isn’t what you want then agree to use protection to keep you both safe. If you suspect your partner may have cheated on you and not used protection – it’s important to get a test at a STD clinic London straight away and try and persuade your partner to do the same.

4. Plan ahead

In the throws of passion it’s not always easy to think about protection, you’re getting into the swing of things and before you know it your both naked. Try and plan ahead and make sure you have protection close to hand, all of the time. There is nothing worse than waking up with regrets, not only are you left with an uncomfortable situation to deal with, or a potentially unwanted pregnancy but it’s also a huge passion killer to have to discuss potential STD’s the next day.

5. Communicate with your partner or lover

Try and discuss your sexual relationship with your partner, if your intimate enough to have sex, then you should be intimate enough to talk about what’s important to you. This will not only bring you closer together but may even spark better communication about sexual likes and dislikes.

In part 2 of this article, we bring you more of our top tips for preventing a trip for an STD test at our STD clinic London – which will hopefully help you along in the journey to a healthy and happy sex life.

The human body is generally very resilient and can overcome the most terrible of illnesses and injuries with the right treatment and care. However, there are certain diseases and illnesses that our private GP London feel are of particular worry, here is some important information on the world’s top 10 deadliest diseases, their causes, symptoms and how together, we can avoid them.

Number 10 – Lung Cancer

There is no doubt that the biggest cause of lung cancer is smoking! The other worrying statistic is that every year, over 3,000 non smokers will die at the hands of passive smoking – hence one of the reasons for banning it from public places in recent years.  Lung cancer is the deadliest of all cancers, each year more people die from lung cancer than colon, breast and prostate cancer combined. We offer help and assistance in kicking the habbit.

Number 9 – Malaria

This disease is a massive worldwide health issue, with around 500 million estimated cases annually and over 1 million fatalities. It is incredibly important to visit either our private GP London or travel clinic London, if you are planning on visiting a country with a potential malaria risk, otherwise you could be risking your life.

Number 8 – Tuberculosis

The primary symptoms of this contagious bacterial disease are fever, fatigue, excessive perspiration and significant weight loss. TB begins in the lungs but can also spread to other organs and can often lay dormant for years. The elderly, young and individuals with a poor immune system are most at risk. The disease is relatively uncommon in developed countries, but is incredibly devastating. If you think there is any possibility you could have this disease it’s important you seek immediate medical attention.

Number 7 – Diarrheal Disease

Diarrhoea tends to be viewed as a relatively tolerable disease and fairly common, however imagine if it lasted weeks, months or even years – it is then considered a chronic disease which can lead to the entire immune system shutting down and eventually death.  Again this degree of diarrhoea is not common in developed countries and would be fairly easily treatable at one of our private GP London clinics; however this is sadly not the case for under developed countries with poorer health provision.

<<For the top 6 worlds deadliest diseases, look out for our private GP London expert opinion in part 2.>>

The NHS itself runs a number of clinics for travellers, but if you want to ensure the best medicines, the best service and the most convenient appointment times, choosing to attend a private clinic might be a better option. By using a private GP London residents can pick and choose their appointment times, enabling them to fit their healthcare around existing work and family commitments. A private clinic will offer comfortable surroundings and cutting edge equipment, all in a relaxed, respectful environment.

As soon as you know you will be travelling, even if you believe it to be within a ‘westernised’ area, it is advisable to make an appointment to see a travel health advisor. In many cases the initial consultation is free of charge, so it will cost you nothing more than a little of your time to find out what you might need. It is often the case that private clinics can see you on the same day. However, you should make the appointment as soon as you know your travel dates to ensure you have enough time for any treatment required.

Many of the common vaccinations require more than one dose, with a fixed required period of time between doses. Rabies, for example, requires three doses over the course of a month and Hepatitis B requires 3 injections over 3 weeks. Malaria tablets, in particular, can be time sensitive and with diseases such as Yellow Fever, some countries’ authorities will not allow you to get off the plane unless you have a valid, up to date certificate.

In addition to your vaccinations, your travel health advisor will be able to give you some tips and advice on safe and healthy travel in the country you are planning to visit. They will be able to tell you what foods to avoid and whether the tap water is safe to drink.

They will also advise you on safe sex abroad and what sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) are common in your destination. If you think you have been exposed through unsafe sex while abroad and intend to visit an STD clinic, London based practitioners will need to know where you have been in order to ensure that they test for the most common diseases in that location.

A growing client base demonstrates the popularity of this organisation, with a number of sensitive medical treatments available and advice offered on the spot. These include private HIV tests and private STD testing. With an STD clinic London patients won’t find themselves without help or advice and with a partnership formed with Superdrug, patients can access instant HIV testing in an easily accessible pharmacy setting.

This innovative approach to health care has seen CityDoc gain many a return client, especially those that require immediate, reliable and discrete health tests, including Chlamydia and HIV tests. For discrete visits to a private GP London based clients can rest assured that all information will remain secure and their anonymity respected with real names not required. This level of confidentiality is uniform across all centres, with Wellman and Wellwoman screening a private, efficient and less stressful process.

Since same day appointments are available and treatment is possible on-site, there is no need for lengthy waits or waiting lists. Anxiety levels are therefore kept at bay, with each patient given the highest possible level of care.

For those that require quick results, CityDoc also provides blood tests at its Harley street Lab, rapid imaging on x-rays, ultrasound, CT and MRI scans, as well as instant access to a wide range of medical advice and vaccinations. Referrals to external specialists within the London area are fast and efficient.

With such affordable private health care and over 70,000 registered clients, CityDoc offers a complete solution for anyone looking for a rather more personal and private health care system. For more information or advice contact our friendly teams in Harley Street, Moorgate and in a range of locations within the UK.

Sexually transmitted diseases are on the increase and it’s not just young people who are most at risk. In fact, the instances of STDs in adults over the age of 50 have doubled over the past decade. This means that it doesn’t matter how old you are, you need to take responsibility in order to stay sexually safe.

Many sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea may have no symptoms at all, especially in the early stages of infection. However they can still be transmitted to others through unprotected sex. If you have had sex without taking precautions it is a good idea to take an STD test to ensure that you are free from any infection which could be passed on to others.

As an alternative to visiting an STD clinic London, you can visit a private GP. They will be able to help with any symptoms of infection you may be experiencing as well as being able to check your overall state of health. However there are advantages to visiting a specialist STD clinic. Unlike your private GP London STD clinics are staffed with friendly, helpful specialists who will be able to guide and support you at every stage in the testing process. They will be able to help you with any concerns you might have and will provide a safe, non-judgemental environment in which to ensure that your sexual health is at its peak.

Being sexually active is nothing to be ashamed of. It is fun and exciting and should be enjoyed to the fullest. However, staying safe is an essential part of having fun, so if you have had unprotected sex at any time it is important to get yourself checked out so that you can continue to enjoy your sexual freedom. Take advantage of your STD clinic London has plenty to choose from after all. Book in for a test and protect your sexual health now.

It is estimated that as we approach the end of 2012, over 100,000 people will have the HIV virus in the UK – gay men are most at risk and in the last decade, figures for this group have more than doubled – with 3000 new cases reported during 2010, 1 in 3 of which were in gay men under the age of 35.

It is important that more vigilance is taken from the gay community in protecting their sexual health – HIV can be a life or death illness and its symptoms can be extremely harrowing. CityDoc would urge gay men and indeed all individuals making the catastrophic decision to practice unprotected sex, to at least have a regular HIV test London. Better still – change you attitude and stay away from the gum clinic by practising safe sex. Condoms are free from the NHS if you can’t afford them, so there is no excuse. At least if you get tested regularly you will have better chances of recovery, decreased chances of spreading the disease and it is likely that you will suffer less serious effects. If you test positive you can firstly get the medical care you need which can make you dramatically less infectious and secondly you can take action to prevent the spread to others.

Studies reveal that less than half of gay men get tested for HIV every year and that one out of every 10 gay men has never been tested. It is also estimated that around one third of gay men with HIV don’t even know they have it and these are the key individuals for re-infecting others, going through life unaware that they are spreading this harmful virus to others.

We recommend that every gay man has a test and then a repeat test annually to ensure not only their own safety but the safety of others. If you don’t want to have a HIV test London with us at CityDoc, the NHS provide free testing either through their GUM clinics or Doctors surgeries. HIV can now be treated, so it’s much better to know than to brush it under the carpet, because the longer you leave it the more unlikely it is that you will make a full recovery.

The recent research conducted by members of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centre has revealed that women who have been infected with two different strains of HIV have more effective antibody responses than those who have only been infected once.  The double infection response was even found to stop replication of the virus. The condition is known as the “HIV Superinfection,” occurring when a person receives two strains of HIV from two different sexual partners, many believe that this could be the key to fighting the disease in the future.

The researchers studied a group of women living with HIV in Mombasa, Kenya, over a period of five years, where tests such as our HIV test London are not readily available as they are here in the UK. The scientists monitored the immune activity of 12 HIV superinfected women and compared their results to a group of 36 singly infected women.  They also controlled risk factors that could have had an effect on the results. The scientists found that on average, the superinfected women had 1.68 times more neutralizing antibodies than the singly infected women, and their ability to neutralize the virus from spreading was 1.46 times higher.  These findings may be the answer to developing the much needed vaccine that could save many lives, even though the research has been conducted on a small sample the results are very promising.