Not many people have STDs.
False. 65 million people in the USA have an STD, and 19 million more get affected every year. That's 36 Americans per minute. Put another way, 1 in 5 Americans has an STD.
If I had an STD, I'd know.
False. Many STDs show no symptoms whatsoever. Genital herpes, which affects 1 in 4 adult Americans and is the most common STD, goes undiagnosed in 80% of the people who carry it. 75% of women and 50% of men with chlamydia have no symptoms; 60-80% of females with gonorreah have no symptoms. With diseases such as trichomoniasis, human papillomavirus (HPV), and HIV/AIDS, people can be infected for years and transfer the disease without having any symptoms whatsoever. Genital herpes, HPV, and Hepatitis B are all STDs that can go undetected because there may be no symptoms, only mild and undetected symptoms, or sores that are located inside the vagina, penis, or anus and are never noticed by the carrier.
I've had my yearly checkup, donated blood, or had bloodwork done by the Army. If I had an STD, they would have notified me.
False. Yearly exams at a doctor's office or gynecologist will not test you for STDs unless you specifically ask for it, even if you have bloodwork done. You must specifically ask for many STD tests. Likewise, giving blood to a charitable organization such as the Red Cross does not ensure your blood will be checked for STDs. Due to money and time constraints, these organizations will often only scan blood for HIV and a few other "major" STDs; unless you have one of them, you will not be informed of your infection. Another common myth is that the U.S. Army annually tests its soldiers for all STDs. In fact, the yearly blood tests done by the Army only test for HIV unless the soldier specifically asks for other tests to be run.
I'm a virgin, so I can't have an STD.
False. The current definition of "virgin" often refers to a vaginal virgin. However, sexually transmitted diseases can be contracted through oral and anal sex just as easily as through vaginal. For example, genital and oral herpes can both be transmitted through oral sex. HPV and genital warts can be transmitted through fingers or skin-to-skin contact (i.e. fingering, hand jobs, cuddling with your legs entwined, etc.).
Okay, I mean I'm a real virgin--I haven't done anything sexual. I can't have an STD, right?
False. Many diseases can be transfered through salivia and kissing, including herpes. Hepatitis B has been transmitted through sharing a razor with an infected person, unsterilized tattoo needles, kissing, and coming into contact with an infected person's saliva. Trichonimiasis can actually be transmitted through any damp object, such as a towel, toilet seat, or wet clothing.
Even if I get an STD, they are all treatable.
False. While everyone knows HIV isn't curable, what is less known is that none of the viral STDs can be cured. This includes HPV, genital herpes, some strains of Hepatitis B, and HIV/AIDS.
I use condoms every time I have sex, so I don't have an STD.
False. Condoms are meant to stop sperm, not diseases. A virus or bacteria is much smaller than sperm cells and can pass through a condom; condoms are not an effective barrier against sexually transmitted diseases. However, some protection is better than none, so you should always engage in protected sex.
I've only had one partner, so I don't have an STD.
False. First, many people mean "one vaginal partner" or "one anal partner" when they say this, and do not take into account the many people they have kissed, shared food and drink with, shared razors, clothes, or towels with, sat on the toilet after, had oral sex with, or received manual sex from. Likewise, many people completely fail to take into account the partners of their partner, and those people's partners, and those people's partners, and so on.
I have an STD, but I can't transmit it to my partner when I'm not having an "outbreak."
While your infection is more transferable during an outbreak, it is always transferable, even years after your last outbreak. You should still inform potential partners and use protection.
STDs can't be transmitted through fingering or jacking off.
False. While it is easier to get an STD through oral, anal, or vaginal sex than through manual sex, it is still possible. For example, HPV (the cancer-causing and wart-causing virus) can be transferred through the fingers.
Cold sores aren't an STD.
False. Cold sores are another name for oral herpes, which is an STD. Oral herpes can also be transferred through kissing, sharing chapstick or lipstick, oral sex, or touching the cold sores. (Cold sores are, however, different from canker sores, which are not an STD.)
Even if I get an STD, it won't affect my life.
Sometimes this is true--you get diagnosed, receive treatment, and move on. Many bacterial, and some fungal and parasitical, infections can be treated and cured. Others will affect your life--and your partner's life--forever. For example, chlamydia can scar the fallopian tubes, resulting in infertility. It can also contribute to cervical cancer. Gonorrhea, when left untreated, can result in infection to the heart, nervous system, muscles, and joints, as well as contribute to miscarriage in pregnant women. Hepatitis B and herpes can infect and kill the infants of infected mothers during birth, and some adults with Hepatitis B and C can contract liver disease and liver cancer, resulting in death. Genital herpes can also cause premature delivery in pregnant mothers. HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer, and more than a third of women who develop this cancer will die from it. HPV can also cause penile, oral, anal, and vulvar cancer, as well as develop fatal warts in the throats of infected infants. Syphilis, when left untreated, can cause paralysis, blindness, and numbness for adults, as well as result in stillborn or premature delivery for infants. HIV causes an immune system deficiency that results in fatal illnesses, cancers, and diseases. In addition to the danger of illness and death, plus the many risks to unborn fetuses, many of these STDs also result in painful urination, genital inflammation, and pain or burning during intercourse. For your safety, the safety of your partners, and the health of your future children, please get tested regularly.
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