Your health is important. While you might think to go to the doctor when you experience signs of illness, a large part of modern medicine is taking preventative steps. Instead of waiting around until you develop a sickness to be treated for it, visiting your primary care physician annually can help you to keep yourself in your best shape possible. Preventative medicine goes far beyond simply having a professional check your heart, lungs, and eyes. If you are sexually active, then you absolutely must get yourself tested for various sexually transmitted diseases.
Although there are treatments available for a wide array of diseases and infections, a large chunk of the population does not go through the proper channels after engaging in unprotected sex. This lack of attention leads to STDs being spread when they can easily be contained. Engaging in physical intimacy with another person can be a rewarding experience but a person needs to go about the process in a smart way to avoid serious health complications. Explore some of these reasons to get yourself tested and take action right away.
You Never Know
Even though the correct information is freely available to the public, misconceptions about how sexually transmitted diseases are spread still run rampant. Without proper education, a person is not likely to understand how easy it is to contract a number of these diseases and infections. For example, there is a popular opinion amongst young people that the only way to contract an STD is through vaginal or anal intercourse. In truth, a person can develop an STD almost anywhere on the body where the skin of one person has prolonged contact with the skin of another.
Even someone who considers himself a virgin can wake up to discover cold sores around his mouth after a night of passion. Whether you are “going all the way” or simply engaging in preliminary sexual contact, you definitely need to test for sexually transmitted diseases every so often. Educating yourself on the right way to stay safe while having sex can be a great way to avoid developing any STDs in the first place. While condoms are practical for penetrative sex, there are other useful contraceptives available to prevent the spread of oral disease.
Secrets and Lies
If you think you’re safe from STDs because you’re in a monogamous relationship, you would be completely wrong. Statistically speaking, people who are in long-term relationships are almost more likely to develop STDs than people who are single and engaging in physical intimacy with a number of partners. The reason for this has a lot to do with blind trust and misinformation. Most people like to believe their partners are being faithful but studies have shown that a surprising number of people admit to cheating on their partners at one time or another.
A partner does not have to cheat for an STD to get spread to you. In fact, there are many STDs that lay dormant in the body and do not develop any obvious symptoms for years. Unless you and your partner both go to a professional for testing regularly, you do not know what you could be spreading back and forth. Some of these diseases are somewhat harmless but there are countless others that can do serious damage to your health and even kill you if untreated.
Knowledge is Power
Finally, it is always better to know the condition of your health than to blindly worry. Having a concrete answer about your health can be important. Once you know what you’re dealing with, you are going to have an easier time getting proper treatment. Of course, you are not going to be able to take care of treatment if you never get tested. Instead of engaging in unprotected sex and hoping for the best each time, take your time to educate yourself and go through the proper tests to make sure you have a clean bill of health.
At the end of the day, education is incredibly important when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases. There is nothing wrong with consensual sex with another adult as long as you take the time to learn about STDs, how to prevent them, and how to treat them should they develop. In order for you to get the ball rolling, visit with a medical professional and have yourself tested right away.
