What Sexually-Active Adults Should Know About STDs

A vibrant sex life boosts your self-esteem, relieves stress and tension, and improves your overall health. Sexual intimacy is an important part of most adult relationships, whether casual or long term. However, even if you practice safer sex and use condoms, there is always the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). 

In the United States in 2018, 68 million people had at least one STD. Some 26 million of those cases developed in the year, and half of the new infections were among teens and young adults aged 15-24. STDs can be passed between partners in different ways. Left untreated, they can cause severe complications. 

The team at Tu Clinica Arlington has access to the latest diagnostic and treatment options to identify and treat STDs and many other conditions. Here we explore important facts you should know about STDs, and why safer sex is vital for your health.

How you catch STDs

Most STDs are passed as bacteria, parasites, or viruses through bodily fluids such as blood and semen. However, some types of STDs can be transmitted even without bodily fluid exchange. For instance, both human papilloma virus (HPV) and herpes (HSV) can be passed through intimate touch, including fingering. 

No type of sexual activitiy is entirely free from the risk of STDs. You can be infected through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. In many cases you may be unaware you even have it (i.e., you’re asymptomatic). Being asymptomatic is dangerous because it could delay your own treatment and increase the chances that you pass it to somebody else.

Dangers and risks of STDs

Having contact with multiple partners, a history of infections, or taking substances that lower your inhibitions, such as alcohol and recreational drugs, increase the chance of getting an infection. Also, forgetting to use condoms or never using them at all raises your risk. Following are some facts about the dangers of STDs: 

Most viral STDs can’t be cured

Herpes, hepatitis B, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and HPV are all manageable conditions. If you take antiviral therapies, you can reduce or eliminate symptoms and reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to someone else. However, herpes and HIV stay in your body for life.

Women are more prone to STDs

Due to their mostly internal reproductive anatomy, women are at higher risks for getting STDs and having worse repercussions. It’s easier for men to infect women than it is for a man to be infected by a woman. In addition, if a woman has an STD, the infection may spread throughout her reproductive system and infect her unborn children.

Men with male partners are at highest risk of syphilis

Between 2013-2017, 70% of cases of primary and secondary syphilis were diagnosed in men who were having sex with other men. If you’re a man who has male partners, it’s essential to wear condoms and take PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis). 

Untreated STDs have severe risks

Left untreated, late-stage syphilis can damage your brain, nerves, heart, eyes, liver, bones, and joints. Other infections — such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, and HPV — can leave you with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), cervical cancer, and liver disease. Pregnant women can suffer miscarriages, ectopic (tubal) pregnancies, and premature deliveries.

Prevent and treat 

The only 100% effective way to prevent an STD is to abstain from all sexual contact. However, if you’re sexually active, condoms and dental dams are the most consistent methods of preventing most types of spreading STDs. 

If you’re getting involved with a new partner, waiting to get tested is a good way to make sure you’re not risking spreading an infection, or picking one up. You may also wish to undergo testing if a partner has been unfaithful.

Vaccinations to prevent infection are available for HPV (depending on your age), as well as for hepatitis A and B. Avoid having sex under the influence of alcohol or drugs to reduce the chances of getting an STD. Communicate with your partner about safe sex to protect yourself and have sex responsibly.

Many STDs are treated with a variety of antibiotics and antiviral drugs. In fact, bacterial infections such as syphilis are cured with antibiotics. If you’re being treated, it’s important to inform previous and current partners going back 3-12 months so they can get tested and treated also.

Regular testing lets you know if you’re infection-free or if you need treatment. All sexually active people who aren’t in monogamous relationships should be tested annually. Of course, if you have symptoms such as unusual discharge, odors, or itching, contact us immediately.

Schedule an appointment at Tu Clinica Arlington to set up an STD test today!