Why Getting Tested for STDs is Important
During sex, many people will protect themselves in all sorts of ways. Some will abstain and be faithful to a single partner as measures to help practice safe sex and avoid infections. Even with all such measures, regular tests for STDs are important because of the following reasons.
Many STDs exhibit flu-like symptoms, meaning that you cannot tell the difference between the two. Others are asymptomatic, meaning that they do not display any visible signs. If you are not tested, the illness will aggravate and cause severe effects in the future, something you can avoid by visiting a health facility.
STDs that mimic other illnesses or the asymptomatic varieties can easily spread from one person to the other. In many cases, such a spread is unintentional since the person doing it is not even aware of the presence of an STD. There is the possibility of the infection reaching many people if an ill person has unprotected sex with many others. That is how the HIV problem became a global issue in such a short time.
For some people, the fact that they had unprotected sex with their partners for the first time is an excuse not to use protection in future encounters since any illness that they could have contracted is already in them. Such an assumption is wrong since there could be no infection to speak about or it may not have spread to the healthy partner. Testing is necessary here because it helps everyone know about their status and start having responsible and safe sex in future instances.
With the detection of an STD in its early stages, it is possible to succeed in treating it. A condition like HIV will, for instance, get managed easily if treatment commences at the early stages.
There are several STDs that can be spread through means that do not involve intercourse such as skin-to-skin contact. For example, it is possible to get oral herpes from casual contact with your relatives or friends. No wonder you may find a virgin with an STD, something that may leave you in shock.
Before getting into a relationship, both parties need to get tested so that they know where they stand. Imagine if your partner has an asymptomatic STD, which later causes him or her to fall ill seriously. Your first thought would be that he or she has cheated on you, and that could be the end of your relationship. With STD testing that is carried out before things become serious, none of such unjustified accusations can take place.
For someone who has been promiscuous in the past, getting tested for STDs may not seem like a great idea due to the fear of getting results that are not desirable. That is an incorrect position because the truth about your health status is less scarier than the constant state of worry that may result if you do not get a confirmation. You may be in for a pleasant surprise to learn that you simply have a flu.
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