There is a reason why so much importance is laid on maintaining sexual health and using protection in case of sex with strangers. It is because if one does not do that, they stand a chance of contracting a sexually transmitted infection or disease.
Look at the statistics.
Every year, one in every four teens in the US
contracts an STD. What’s more, by the time they reach 25 years of age, almost
half of all sexually active people get at least one STD. Isn’t that alarming
news?
What are these?
An STI or STD is a sexual infection that passes
from one person to another via sexual contact. The most common sexual routes
are vaginal, anal and oral. Apart from these, these infections can also spread
blood or pass from the mother to her child during delivery.
There are more than 20 types of STIs and STDs. The most commonly prevalent ones are:
· Chlamydia
· Gonorrhea
· Syphilis
· Trichomoniasis
· Public lice
· HIV/AIDS
· HPV
· Genital herpes
The main causes behind these are bacteria,
viruses, and parasites, and they can affect both men and women.
Basically, you can get it if:
ü You are sexually active.
ü You are a man who has sex with men – you are more
inclined to catching STIs.
ü You do not use protection, like condoms.
ü You change your sexual partners frequently.
How to stay safe
With most of these infections causing quite a bit
of physical and mental misery and some of them being deadly, it makes a lot of
sense to be careful regarding your sexual activity.
Here are some ways:
Ø Use protection – always!
Ø Educate yourself regarding good sexual practices.
Ø If you feel you are at risk, go in for Arlington full panel STD
test. This will help you catch the infection, if any, well in time.
Ø Try and limit casual sex, and wear a condom every time you are with someone new. Women, ensure your new sexual partner wears protection!
General symptoms
While many STIs and STDs do not show symptoms
immediately and there are some that do not have any symptoms at all.
Here are a few common ones:
o
Sores
or warts in the genital region
o
Unusual
discharge from the vagina/penis
o
Fever
o
Abdominal
pain
o
Painful
urination
o
Itchiness
in the anal region
o
Itchiness
and redness in the genital region
Hardly pleasant, any of them!
You will be glad to know that some of these
infections and diseases are completely curable, such as chlamydia, syphilis,
gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis.
You must speak with a physician if you fear you
have contracted an STI/STD. do not feel embarrassed about this and do not ever
delay getting a test done. STDs caused due to viruses cannot be cured but
medication can keep your symptoms under control and prevent the infection from
spreading to the others.
