A lot of things you have heard about sex and sexually transmitted diseases or infections are lies. But one truth is the fact that STDs are real and pose a strong threat to young men and women and appears to always be on the rise.
According to a report by the The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, gonorrhea, syphilis and chlamydia have had a sharp increase for the first time since 2006, and they’re affecting young adults the most.
Here are 7 lies you should stop believing.
1. You Can’t Get Infected Through Oral Sex
Generally, a lot of common STDs don’t find the environment of the mouth comfortable enough to thrive as opposed to the anal and genital area. Oral sex is safer but not entirely risk free and penetrative sex is not the only way of contacting a STD. Gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia, can be passed orally even though it’s to a lesser extent.
2. Pap Smear Tests Can Detect STDs
A lot of women incorrectly assume that by having a regular pap smear test which is clear indicates they are free of every kind of sexually transmitted infections. A pap smear tests the cells in your cervix for cancer and doesn’t take STDs into account. It’s best you ask your doctor for a separate holistic test which may be a urine, blood or swab test.
3. You Can’t Have Two STDs at The Same Time
The condition of having two infections at the same time is called a co-infection and this is very possible. As a matter of fact, having one type of sexual disease can make you susceptible to getting infected with another. A good a wide array of STDs such as Herpes and syphilis can increase the chances of getting infected with HIV simply because these diseases act as a breeding ground.
4.Once You’ve Had an STD, You Can’t contact The Same One Again
Sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and Staphylococcus are bacterial infections. After getting cured off them, you can still get re-infected with them. This situation is especially common with chlamydia and gonorrhea which an estimated 20 percent of the population of subsaharan African women get re-infected with when tested between 10 to 15 months later.
5. Only People with Multiple Sex Partners Have STDs
In truth, the more sexual partners you have, the more likely you’d be exposed to infections but STDs can still come up in monogamous relationships. You and your partner bring different sexual histories to your relationship which may sometimes include STDs. Provided either you or your partner has had a previous partner, an STD from years back can rear it’s head even without you being aware of it.
6. Lack Of Symptoms Means You’re STD-Free
Reality: “It is very common for any STD to not have apparent symptoms,” says Wyand. Chlamydia, in particular, is known as a silent infection since it’s light on warning signs. “Women can go much longer with chlamydia without seeing or feeling anything atypical,” says Wyand. In fact, a study published in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases found that 63 percent of cervical chlamydia cases and 54 percent of gonorrhea cases were symptom-free.
7. Pregnancy Pills Protects You from STDs
The main job of pregnancy pills is to stop you from getting pregnant not to prevent you from getting a STD. If you want something that prevents pregnancies and also prevents you from getting a STD, a condom might come in handy.
The bitter truth is that the chances of you having a STD if you’re sexually active is high and shouldn’t be a thing of shame. The important thing is to be aware and have it treated in the shortest possible time.
Source: 360nobs.com