April is Awareness Month; Prevent STDs by Talking with Your Partner

[getSTDtested Administrator]

STDs: April is National Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness Month.

PREVENTING STDs:

Have an honest discussion about sex and STDs with potential sexual partners before you have sex. It’s best to choose a time when you can talk calmly, instead of waiting until you are in a sexual encounter. You cannot tell if a person has an STD unless that person tells you.

Avoid sex during menstruation. Women may be more likely to contract or transmit an STD when they have their periods. Women should also avoid douching, which destroys natural, protective bacteria in the vagina.

Do not use intravenous drugs. Some infections, such as HIV, can be passed from one person to another through the use of contaminated syringes, as well as through sexual contact.

Use a latex condom every time you have sex. This is the only birth control method that will help prevent most STDs.

If you choose to have sex, these steps can help reduce the risk of getting an STD:

There are more than 25 different STDs affecting more than 15 million men and women in the United States every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In all, an estimated one in five Americans has had an STD, and nearly two thirds of those occur in people younger than 25 years old.

STDs are spread via sexual and intimate contact, which includes vaginal and anal intercourse, as well as oral-anal and oral-genital contact. The viruses or bacteria that cause STDs travel from person to person in semen, vaginal fluids, or blood. Some STDs enter the body through tiny cuts or tears in the mouth, anus, or genitals. Others flourish in the mucous membranes of the genitals or the delicate skin around the rectum and genitals.

You don’t have to have sexual intercourse to become infected with an STD. Someone can get herpes or genital warts simply through skin-to-skin contact with an infected area or sore.

If left untreated, sexually transmitted diseases can lead to long-term problems, such as infertility. However, preventing STDs or early detection and treatment can help control the spread of these diseases and, in many cases, the development of serious health problems.

Anyone who is sexually active or considering becoming sexually active should also have regular physical exams, including annual gynecological examinations for women and genital examinations for men. Check-ups allow doctors to screen for STDs and perhaps diagnose diseases before they reach an advanced stage.

If you think you may have an STD, or if you have had sex with a partner who may have an STD, see a doctor right away. Waiting to see a doctor may allow the disease to progress and cause more damage.

Many sexually transmitted diseases can be cured with medications. When STDs are diagnosed and treated promptly, the uncomfortable symptoms and serious complications associated with the infections may be prevented.

If you’re concerned that you might have an STD, you can call a national or local STD hotline (start by checking your phone book). Trained specialists can answer questions and provide referrals at all hours, and every call is confidential.

SOURCE: El Don - STDs