Have fun but stay safe during the Calgary Stampede

CALGARY – Alberta Health Services (AHS) wants residents and visitors to enjoy the Calgary Stampede and to stay safe.

Practise safer sex

During this time of increased socializing, if you choose to engage in sexual activities, you can reduce your risk of getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) by practising safer sex.

Any type of sexual contact or activity involves some risk. If you’re sexually active, practising safer sex — such as using condoms and dental dams — helps protect against STIs. Common STIs in Alberta include syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. You can also become infected with HIV and hepatitis through sex. Testing and treatment (if needed) are available throughout Alberta for free. You can call 811 to be connected to your local STI clinic or visit ahs.ca/srh to find a clinic near you to access testing.

There is an ongoing syphilis outbreak in Alberta. Without treatment, syphilis may cause blindness, paralysis, deafness, and brain and heart disease.

Syphilis can also be transmitted to babies during pregnancy, and can damage a baby’s bones, teeth, vision and hearing, or result in a miscarriage or stillbirth if not treated in time.

The syphilis outbreak affects all age groups. Anyone having unprotected sex with new, multiple, or anonymous partners or outside a mutually monogamous relationship is at risk of a syphilis infection and other STIs.

You can practise safer sex by:

• Talking with your new or current partner about the method of STI prevention you will use and about each other’s history of STI infection and testing before sexual activity. 
• Regularly using barrier methods of protection, such as condoms, internal condoms and dental dams.
• Getting tested for STIs, even if you don’t have any symptoms.
• Getting immunized against hepatitis A, hepatitis B and human papillomavirus (HPV).
• Taking HIV PrEP, a medication to prevent getting HIV. Check out Accessing PrEP – PrEP Alberta to see if you qualify.

For both males and females, STIs can affect your ability to conceive a baby. To learn more about STI effects on reproductive health, visit Ready or Not Alberta.ca.

Be cognizant of your alcohol use

We now know that even a small amount of alcohol can be damaging to health. Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health states consuming more than two standard drinks per occasion is associated with an increased risk of harms to self and others, including injuries and violence. Each additional standard drink increases the risk of alcohol-related consequences.

If you choose to drink, learn more about the risks associated with two or more drinks per week. Visit Alberta Health Services' Alcohol resources to view Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health.

Set a weekly maximum and do not exceed it. You can also:

• Drink slowly.
• Drink plenty of water. 
• For every drink of alcohol, have one non-alcoholic drink.
• Choose alcohol-free or low-alcohol beverages.
• Eat before and while you’re drinking.
• Have alcohol-free weeks or do alcohol-free activities.

There are times when no alcohol use is safest. Avoid alcohol when:

• Pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
• Breastfeeding.
• Driving a motor vehicle (e.g., car, truck, motorcycle, e-bike, scooter). 
• Taking medicine or other drugs that interact with alcohol. 
• You are responsible for the safety of others (e.g., you are a designated driver); and making important decisions (e.g., in relationships).

For your health, less alcohol is better. If you or anyone you know is struggling with alcohol use, call the AHS Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322, available 24/7 for free, confidential information and referral support.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Our mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans. Our current focus is on reducing emergency department wait-times, improving EMS response times, increasing access to surgeries, and improving patient flow.