What are STDs and why should we be wary of them?
STDs, or sexually transmitted diseases, are contagious. They are probably one of the worst things a person can get. They do not bring anything good to the body, and all they do is destroy and damage it.
Over the years, more and more people are being infected with STDs. Whether you live in the Americas, Europe, Asia, or Africa, you are prone to getting an STD if you do not know how to protect yourself from it.
Several millions of people are infected with STDs today, and many of them are young kids that got the STD from their mothers when they were born. There are others that acquired the STD from their sex partners. Some got ill because of their carelessness in handling needles, syringes, and other sharp objects that may have been contaminated.
How to prevent oneself from acquiring an STD
Because STDs spread very easily and fast, it is necessary that we all learn how to keep ourselves safe from them. There are many things that we can do to ensure that we are protected from having them.
First and foremost, because we know that STDs can be transmitted from one person to another through unprotected sex, we should practice protected sex all the time, especially if we are having sex with people we just met. Condoms are not that hard to find and they are not that expensive too, so we should use them every time we have sex for non-procreation purposes.
We should also be careful when using needles and syringes. Make sure to use new ones, and not recycle old ones because the latter may be contaminated and may have been used by other people who have STDs.
Also, it is important to know the different signs and symptoms of STDs so that we can be warned when we should get an STD test.
STD testing plays an important role in the treatment of STDs. You see, many STDs can be cured and treated as long as they are discovered early on. This is only possible if you get tested for STDs as soon as you suspect that you may have contracted it. Furthermore, you have to watch out for all the STD symptoms that are common in the early stages of infections so that you can immediately seek help.
STD tests are conducted in health centers and hospitals. Patients are required to submit samples of their blood, urine, saliva, or swab. The results will be available in several days or weeks, depending on the STD testing method used.