O
One Awesome Broad
Guest
sex, lies, and STDs
Okay, this may make a few folks squeamish but then again, a lot of revelations about the disease can do that. I will try to relay this information without, though, hopefully offending anyone's comfort level regarding the discussion of sex and Crohn's disease and an interesting discovery.
I was diagnosed back in 1990 and my Crohn's is in both my colon and my rectum. I am used to the sensation of an abscessed rectum and the discomfort when it is even only inflamed. For the past three years, I have been healthy - a wheat-free and dairy-free diet has kept me off of all the drugs - and I'm getting back out into the dating scene after a divorce. Unfortunately, on one date with someone who I had been seeing for awhile, I got rather intoxicated, and commonsense and the fact that my Crohn's is in my rectum went out the window. Needless to say, I partook in a sexual activity that I shouldn't have and unprotected to boot.
Once sobered up and home, I bled for three days. My temperature yo-yo'd. I could barely sit. My biggest fear was that I might have an abscess so I hit the antibiotics I have to take for dental work and things seemed to be a bit better after a couple of days (yes, I self-medicated - not a good plan - and I only had enough for two days). It allowed me to avoid a dreaded trip to the ER at least for awhile. But the pain came back and I would feel feverish. I also felt ill and a bit dizzy. To top it off, I developed an odd sense of numbness and tingling from the groin area going down both legs. I never had that with an abscess. I had just been tested for STDs right after the incident but having had a hysterectomy in 1994, one test was not done due to a lack of a cervix - the one for chlamydia.
As the days went by and things seem to be getting worse, I started Googling for the symptoms with a cross-reference to Crohn's disease. Well lo and behold - guess what folks. I learned that chlamydia can infect your rectum if it finds its way in there, particularly if you have Crohn's because of the immune system and all. I got myself over to an urgent care clinic, explained what happened to a very understanding and nonjudgmental doctor, and asked for a chlamydia test for my rectum. Upon examination, he said he was wondering how I was even managing to sit as the rectum was so inflamed. He took the swab and a few days later (after several retests to make sure the tests results were correct) the results came back positive.
Chlamydia in the rectum is extremely rare, so rare that I was only one in just a few cases reported in this state this year. But it is a reminder to everyone that no matter what your sexual activity comfort level might be, this is a risk for at least one form of unprotected sex and having Crohn's makes you a better target for it to take hold. I was given a course of antibiotics for a week and I tested clean after that. But it sure was scary and the doctor still is amazed I had thought to check out the symptoms and to insist on being tested. What can I say? I have Crohn's disease. When my body speaks, I listen.
Footnote: I did contact my sexual partner from that encounter regarding the test results. He never returned my calls and we have not dated since.
Okay, this may make a few folks squeamish but then again, a lot of revelations about the disease can do that. I will try to relay this information without, though, hopefully offending anyone's comfort level regarding the discussion of sex and Crohn's disease and an interesting discovery.
I was diagnosed back in 1990 and my Crohn's is in both my colon and my rectum. I am used to the sensation of an abscessed rectum and the discomfort when it is even only inflamed. For the past three years, I have been healthy - a wheat-free and dairy-free diet has kept me off of all the drugs - and I'm getting back out into the dating scene after a divorce. Unfortunately, on one date with someone who I had been seeing for awhile, I got rather intoxicated, and commonsense and the fact that my Crohn's is in my rectum went out the window. Needless to say, I partook in a sexual activity that I shouldn't have and unprotected to boot.
Once sobered up and home, I bled for three days. My temperature yo-yo'd. I could barely sit. My biggest fear was that I might have an abscess so I hit the antibiotics I have to take for dental work and things seemed to be a bit better after a couple of days (yes, I self-medicated - not a good plan - and I only had enough for two days). It allowed me to avoid a dreaded trip to the ER at least for awhile. But the pain came back and I would feel feverish. I also felt ill and a bit dizzy. To top it off, I developed an odd sense of numbness and tingling from the groin area going down both legs. I never had that with an abscess. I had just been tested for STDs right after the incident but having had a hysterectomy in 1994, one test was not done due to a lack of a cervix - the one for chlamydia.
As the days went by and things seem to be getting worse, I started Googling for the symptoms with a cross-reference to Crohn's disease. Well lo and behold - guess what folks. I learned that chlamydia can infect your rectum if it finds its way in there, particularly if you have Crohn's because of the immune system and all. I got myself over to an urgent care clinic, explained what happened to a very understanding and nonjudgmental doctor, and asked for a chlamydia test for my rectum. Upon examination, he said he was wondering how I was even managing to sit as the rectum was so inflamed. He took the swab and a few days later (after several retests to make sure the tests results were correct) the results came back positive.
Chlamydia in the rectum is extremely rare, so rare that I was only one in just a few cases reported in this state this year. But it is a reminder to everyone that no matter what your sexual activity comfort level might be, this is a risk for at least one form of unprotected sex and having Crohn's makes you a better target for it to take hold. I was given a course of antibiotics for a week and I tested clean after that. But it sure was scary and the doctor still is amazed I had thought to check out the symptoms and to insist on being tested. What can I say? I have Crohn's disease. When my body speaks, I listen.
Footnote: I did contact my sexual partner from that encounter regarding the test results. He never returned my calls and we have not dated since.
