The Most Common Q and A for Women Avoiding or Living With STDs

STDs are quite very secretive that they have infected and passed through millions without getting detected. To win the battle against these silent nemeses, you must empower yourself with some very basic information. 1. How frequent must you be tested for STDs? If you are sexually active (be it oral, anal or vaginal) and you have multiple partners or frequently have a new one, then you require an STD test once a year. The recommended yearly test is not enough, if you frequently observe unusual genital discharges, painful urination, itchy private parts and genital warts. You must immediately get tested whenever you observe any of the mentioned signs. 2. Which STD test must you undergo? If you are sexually active and still feel that you're STD-free, then you may try an STD test kit for Chlamydia or HIV test kit. If you recently experienced urination, then you are advised to check for syphilis and gonorrhea. If you rarely use a condom or if you experienced sharing needles, then you require an HIV test. Because STD tests may be considered expensive, always look at the symptoms and your medical history before performing an STD home test or visiting the nearest testing center. 3. Can you ask your sex partner about his or her health status? Although this may appear impossible for many, the answer is yes. You have every right to know your partner's current sexual health problems, because they may also become yours. Just be careful with the wording of your query. Although in theory you can have your partner(s) checked with an STD home test, such is just barely feasible in real life and the best thing you can do is to ask your partner. 4. Is latex condoms foolproof in protecting against all STDs? Condoms greatly cut down the probability of acquiring AIDS and many other STDs but they can't be trusted to protect against some STDs especially those that require skin contact for transmission. Examples of such STDs are herpes and syphilis. Taking post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and undergoing regular STD test must be done in conjunction with faithful condom usage if you intend to never contract possibly life-altering STDs. 5. Do all STDs manifest symptoms right away? A significant number of STDs lack any observable manifestation most of the duration of their infection. This type of STDs only becomes obvious when victims have already been severely compromised. Some common STDs that cannot be quickly diagnosed without advanced methods of testing or laboratory analysis include Chlamydia infection, syphilis, gonorrhea and AIDS. A number of these silent diseases can be detected with just an STD home test. 6. Does having an STD raise the chances of getting another? Further engaging in sexual activities when you are already infected, seriously places you at high risks of contracting another STD. Several STDs, such as AIDS, compromise your body's defenses for example in the oral and genital areas. This weakened immunity grants new STD-causing bacteria or viruses much easier access to your already battered body. 7. Can I have sex with my partner and fail to pass my genital herpes? There is no guarantee that herpes can't be transmitted even if you are practicing safe sex because the herpes virus may reside in areas outside the protective layer of a condom. You can however augment the protection granted by condoms by taking antiviral drugs. Reducing the quantity of viral particles reduces the possibility of successful transmission. For certain non-transmission, you are strongly encouraged to abstain from sex until the herpes outbreak has completely ended. By the time the sores completely disappear, you are advised to use an STD test kit for herpes. 8. Which hepatitis types are STDs and how can transmission be minimized? Hepatitis A, B and C can all be transmitted through sex. Transmission can be drastically reduced by vaccination and condom utilization. Vaccines are available for combating Hepatitis A and B. Hepatitis C has no vaccine, but condoms can definitely stop disease transmission. If you doubt that you may have Hepatitis B, you can verify or demolish your doubt by using the appropriate STD test kit. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7474393