Getting tested for STDs can feel like an embarrassing experience for many, but it should not be. It is perfectly normal and a smart thing to do too. There are dozens of STDs in existence, and nothing is embarrassing about wanting to keep yourself safe from them.
Sex is fun, and you should enjoy it to the fullest with your partner. But if it could get you in trouble, especially health-related ones, you might want to consider taking extra caution. This is why safe sex is the best kind of sex.
How Often Should Testing Occur?
If you are sexually active, you need to get tested regularly for STIs.
Factors like age and the number of sexual partners you have can determine how often you should get tested. But generally, everyone who is sexually active should be getting tested for STIs at least once a year.
If an STI is detected early, you can start treatment immediately and it reduces the risk of long-term damage to organs and health complications like paralysis, dementia and infertility.
You can minimize the risk of getting an STI by sticking to one sexual partner. But the only way to be completely safe from getting infected is by complete abstinence from sexual contact.
If you are sexually active, you can enjoy sex while being safe. Know your STI status by getting tested regularly. Also, use condoms and dental dams during sex, whether vaginal, anal or oral. Do not assume that a person cannot be infected because they look like a yummy snack.
Why you should get tested
It is simple. It would help if you got tested to protect yourself and your partner from STIs. No matter how observant you think you are, you may not always be able to tell that a person has an STI. This is because many STIs do not have any apparent symptoms, including the dreaded HIV. Some infected people may not even know that they have an STI. Not knowing does not absolve you of the consequences of an untreated infection. You can still pass on the infection to another person without being aware of it.
The only way to know your STI status is to get tested.
Practising safe sex
Safe sex is about protecting yourself and your partner from STIs and unwanted pregnancies while having fun between the sheets.
Safe sex involves taking protective measures like using condoms and dental dams when you have sexual contact with other people and getting tested often.
If you notice any symptoms like itching, abnormal discharge or swelling in your private region, or you suspect that you might have been exposed to an STI, speak to a doctor on Doctall for advice as soon as possible.