Gay Youth UK

2006 saw 500,000 people pouring through the streets of London. Set to be just as extraordinary this year, London pride is England's capital cities biggest gay event.

Gay Youth UK, or GYUK as it has been shortened to by many of its members, was founded in 1997 with the aim of providing a complete resource for young lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and questioning people living in the UK.

Neisseria GonorrhoeaGonorrhoea (also spelt gonorrhea) is amongst the most common of sexually transmitted infections. It is caused by a bacterium called neisseria gonorrheoae or gonococcus (right), and is usually found inside the genital area, or the rectum, and can be transmitted through contact with the conjunctivae of a person’s eyes.

Hepatitis BHepatitis comes in many flavours and in mainly concerned with damage to the liver. Hepatitis B (or Hep B, as you may sometimes hear) is the one most commonly transmitted through sexual contact, with Hepatitis C also possible on rare occasions.

Treponema PallidumSyphilis is perhaps the most notorious of sexually transmitted infections reported to have been around Europe since the 14th century. Known then under many names such as the Great Pox, it was spread by armies traveling the lands via their unprotected encounters with prostitutes. Today, however, is is not so much a nuisance and can be cured in several ways.

Transmission

Chlamydia TrachomatisOften having no visible symptoms, Chlamydia (also know as "the clap") is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK and is caused by microscopic bacterium called Chlamydia Trachomatis (right).

Only about half of men and three-quarters of women infected with Chlamydia actually go on to display any symptoms of the virus often meaning that it goes undetected for months at a time and is transmitted unknowingly.

HIV-1HIV is one of the most prolific viruses known to man, and is currently a worldwide pandemic, with AIDS estimated at killing more than 2.9 million people in 2006 alone (with 84,000 of those deaths occurring in Western and Central Europe). The term HIV positive, where it sounds quite up-beat, is the term for those who have contracted the virus; HIV negative is when the virus is not present in an individual.

Coming out is one of the most daunting thing that a teen or young adult can do, the idea of telling your family and friends what seems to be a very private secret can be a scary prospect. There are a few things to consider before you bite the bullet, whether the people you are going to tell going to react well is obviously the biggest one. Try to take as objective an eye as possible when considering potential reaction, perhaps try testing the water...

How many gay people do you know? Two or three perhaps, if you live in a relatively cosmopolitan area, maybe less if you live in a small town or village. Now imagine what it must be like being that gay person. The one people think of when they want to remind themselves that they are “in-touch” with modern issues, that they posses that hint of new labour which puts them a fraction to the left on the political compass, wrapping them up in their PC blanket.