STD Prevention Tips and Resources
For most adults, sexual health is an important part of their overall well-being, so it's crucial to understand how to take care of yourself and what resources can help you to stay healthy. Sexually transmitted diseases are still a significant public health problem all over the world, but a little knowledge can go a long way toward preventing the spread of STDs. Knowing things like where to look for trustworthy information and how to get tested for STDs can help you to take better care of your sexual health.
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Symptoms and Causes: The Mayo Clinic outlines the basics of STDs here, including symptoms you should look out for in yourself or a sexual partner that could be signs of an infection.
- Sexually Transmitted Infections: There are many different sexually transmitted infections, including chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhea, human papillomavirus (HPV), pubic lice, syphilis, and HIV.
- How You Can Prevent Sexually Transmitted Diseases: The most reliable way to prevent STDs is to never have sex, but barring that, there are plenty of ways to make sex safer. These include being monogamous, getting vaccinated for HPV, using condoms and dental dams, and getting tested for STDs to ensure early diagnosis and treatment.
- What Are the Symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Diseases? Check yourself and your partner for symptoms including sores, unusual discharge, or a rash.
- How to Prevent Sexually Transmitted Infections: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists put together this resource including answers to commonly asked questions about STDs.
- Condoms and How They're Used: Using a condom properly is one of the most effective ways to prevent an STD.
- How to Choose and Use a Condom: Picking the right size is important to ensure a good fit.
- What You Need to Know About Using a Dental Dam: Dental dams can prevent the transmission of STDs during oral sex.
- Everything You Need to Know About Sex Toys and STIs: Using sex toys can be a lot safer than sexual activity that exchanges bodily fluids, provided that you keep your sex toys clean.
- STD Testing Conversation-Starters: It can feel awkward to bring up the subject of STDs with a new partner, but it's critically important that you know about their sexual history and make sure that they're disease-free. Here are some tips for how to get this discussion started.
- How Do Doctors Test for STDs? Getting an STD test usually involves a simple visit to your regular doctor or gynecologist. They'll often need to take a sample of your blood, urine, or saliva or a swab from any suspicious sores and send it off to a lab for analysis.
- How Often Do You Need to Get Tested for STDs? Some STDs don't have any symptoms, so it's important to get tested regularly. How regularly you get tested, though, will depend on your level of risk. Risk factors can include having multiple sexual partners, having unprotected sex, and having sex with someone whose STD status you don't know.
- The Dangers of Undiagnosed Sexually Transmitted Infections: If you don't get tested for STDs, you could end up with a host of health problems due to an untreated infection, ranging from damage to the reproductive tract to cancer.
- What You Need to Know About the Links Between HIV and STDs: When you have an STD, it can change the cells in the affected tissues in a way that makes it easier for you to contract HIV.
- Ten Myths and Truths About Sexually Transmitted Infections: Can you get an STD from kissing? How about from a toilet seat or a towel? Learn the facts about some common STD myths from the University of Miami Health System.
- Know Your Chances: Learn about the factors that influence your risk of an STD, how to reduce your risk, and which STDs you're more or less likely to get based on the type of sexual activity you engage in.
