In this episode, CF Strong podcast co-host Sam Lefoe and Clinical Nurse Consultant Kate Johnson discuss sex and protection for people living with CF.
Kate emphasises the importance of safe sex practices for everyone, as individuals with CF face the same risks of contracting sexually transmitted diseases. She provides insights into the potential impact on health, fertility, and the transmission of diseases, highlighting the need for protection in various types of sexual activities. Kate discusses contraceptive options, including condoms, intrauterine devices, and hormonal implants, and encourages open communication with healthcare teams for personalised advice.




Transcript
Voice Over: Welcome to the CF Strong Podcast. CF Strong covers the successes and challenges faced by those living with cystic fibrosis. You'll hear first person stories, conversations with health professionals, friends and partners. Just a heads up, guests may share their personal views about treatments and health management, but please remember, this is not medical advice and you should always follow the advice of your clinic team regarding your health.
Sam: Hi everyone. Today we have a quick fire, one answer, one question podcast with Kate, a CF nurse. Today we'll be asking the questions that are kind of difficult to discuss or might be a little bit embarrassing as well. So we've talked before about fertility and having children with CF but I want to now talk about if I need to use protection when I have sex.
KJ: Yeah. So being a good child of, growing up in the naughties when all the sayings were around, I grew up with a saying, if it's not on, it's not on. And no glove, no love. So they're those great sayings that were out there. But so using protection during sex, whether it be boy, girl, girl, girl, boy, girl, whether it's oral, vaginal, anal, or any other combinations of things that I don't know about you do need to use protection. So people with CF are at exactly the same risk as everyone else of contracting sexually transmitted disease. And some of this stuff is not only embarrassing, such as discharge, etc., but it can also affect your health, your fertility, especially in females, and it can be lifelong. So even though a lot of guys think, well, I can't get a chick knocked up, in a very simple way of saying it, but I can't get someone pregnant because I have the incomplete vas deferens and I don't shoot out sperm.
It doesn't mean that, there's still that two to 3% chance that you can actually get a girl pregnant naturally. But it's also, you're still at risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases such as herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, etc. So that's why it's really important that you do look into using protection, whether it be condoms, which is the number on recommendation, but for females, there are other options out there as well. So it's worthwhile talking to your team, especially with some of the gene modulators like orkambi, we used to talk about it affected the oral contraceptive pill. So we used to talk about other methods of contraception as well. So, like I said, your condoms, your intrauterine devices that are inserted into the vagina that reduce the risk of getting pregnant. And also the implant on which helps regulate the hormones. But as I always say to everyone, just remember, safe sex equals no regrets.
Voice Over: Thanks for listening to this episode of the CF Strong Podcast. Make sure you subscribe on your favourite podcast listening platform so you don't miss the next episode. And if you enjoyed this podcast, we'd really appreciate if you could leave us a review. It helps other people find CF Strong, or share us with your friends. Also, a quick reminder that the views expressed in the CF Strong podcast may not be reflective of Cystic Fibrosis Community Care's viewpoints. The podcasts are designed to share information and provide insight into the lives of those living with cystic fibrosis around Australia.