Where to Get Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) Answers

Sexually Transmitted Diseases is a topic that one would not easily open up, especially when you are a teenager. Surely, your parents will be the last person that you will think of to go to. As a teenager, you know that your parents will not like it when they know that you have engaged into such activity. You needed answers to those questions that continued to lurk in your mind. You needed answers to alleviate the fears that you might already be infected; but where will you go to search for the answers?

The very first place that you can go to is the internet. With internet, you can have access to information that you need to know about sexually transmitted diseases. There are many blogs, articles and dedicated websites that offer general information about STDs for free. Usually the things that you will learn about

STD on the internet are:

o General description

o How you can get infected or how the STD are being transmitted

o Symptoms and signs

o How it looks like (sometimes, you get to see a photo of the disease)

o Medication (If there are any)

Although internet can provide you with information about STD, these are not enough to tell whether you are infected or not with the disease. Most often than not, some STD does not show any symptoms or signs at all. Also, when you look at the symptoms and signs, most of these are very much alike with other illness. Although internet is not the best place to start looking for answers about STD, it is always the first place where people go.

The next place where your questions about STD can be answered is on any local STD testing centers. STD testing centers offers you detailed information about the different types of STD. Aside from the facts that you get about STD, the most important question that you want to be answered which is obviously whether you are infected or not can be and will be answered in this place. There is no better way to answer this question rather than get you tested for STD.

As teenagers, you give high regard on confidentiality when it comes to matters like these. Well, who doesn’t? This is the reason why there are local STD testing clinics that offers confidential testing. It means that your result will be kept on the lab and to you alone. This clinics practice strict confidentiality when it comes to your information. In fact, you may opt not to give your real name.

Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) is something that you should not take for granted. Once you have had sexual relationship or even have the slightest doubt that you might have been infected, never wait long to get tested.

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10 Important Facts About Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) & Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)

1. WHAT ARE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES (STDS)?

Sexually transmitted diseases are diseases that can be passed from person to person through sexual contact. In this case sexual contact means penis-vagina penetration, oral sex which is sexual contact using the mouth, and insertion of the penis into the rectum which is anal sex. Some of these diseases may be transmitted by exchange of sexual fluids such as semen or vaginal discharge. Some of the STD’s result in open sores, and it can be spread by contact with skin of someone else. There are also ways to transmit these diseases in a non sexual way, an infected pregnant woman can either give it to her baby during pregnancy, or when the baby is being delivered. Drug abusers can transmit the disease through sharing hypodermic needles that have been used by an infected person. The seriousness of STD’s varies, some are cured easily by drugs, others need a combination of treatments and drugs, whilst others have no cure, and the only option is treatment.

2. WHAT ARE SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED IINFECTIONS (STI’s)?

Any infection that is usually passed through sexual contact.

3. ARE THE TWO WORDS INTERCHANGEABLE?

Fifteen years ago both these categories came under one name Venereal Disease (VD). To distinguish between them they were separated into infections (STI) and diseases(STD). Infection means that a germ, bacteria, parasite or virus is present in the body. An infected person does not necessarily have any symptoms, which means that they do not usually feel ill..A disease is any abnormal condition of the body or mind that causes
discomfort, dysfunction, or distress, in other words your body tells you that you are unwell. This means that STI covers a wider range than the term STD. STD refers only to infections that are causing problems. Because most of the time, people don’t know they are infected with an STI until they start showing symptoms of disease, the AIDS Resource Center uses the term STD, even though the term STI is also appropriate in many cases.

Let’s see if we can simply un-muddy the waters here. Genital herpes has two states when the blisters are present and when they are absent. When they are
present they are causing symptoms, ie the blisters, at this stage it is an STD, and it is that this stage that the infection is most likely to be spread to another
person.When the blisters are absent then there are no symptoms, and this is then an STI, and the likelihood of an infection is reduced. However, HIV can be
an infection, in the sense that there may be no symptoms, when they develop symptoms then they have AIDS which is an STD. However it is important to
remember that HIV infection can be spread at any time.

4.WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STD’S AND HIV?

A person who is already infected with STD, has a higher risk of contracting HIV if they have unprotected sex, without a condom. This risk is greater if the STD causes open genital sores, as these wounds provide a break in the skin which enables the HIV infection to enter the blood stream. STDs that can
cause genital ulcers include genital herpes, syphilis, chancre, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis, and scabies.

5.WHY IS IT DIFFICULT TO RECOGNIZE THAT YOU MAY HAVE A STD?

First of all the majority of the people with STD have no immediate symptoms and when they do have them it can be misleading to diagnose as the
symptoms can be confused with non sexual diseases. Please note that this applies much more to women than men.

6. WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS FOR WOMEN WHEN THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM AN STD?

unusual or bad-smelling vaginal discharge,

severe itching or burning in the genital area,

unusual bleeding,

pain in the pelvic region,

pain during sex,

rashes on the genitals,

open sores or warts on the genital area, and/or recurrent urinary tract infections.

7. WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS FOR MEN WHEN THEY ARE SUFFERING FROM AN STD?

In men, the most common symptoms of STD are:

pain when urinating,

open sores or warts on the genital are

genital rash

discharge from the penis, and/or pain in the scrotum/testicles.

8. WHAT ARE THE OTHER SYMPTOMS NOT CONNECTED TO THE GENITALS?

The following symptoms are present in both men and women:

discharge from the anus,

swelling of the groin,

jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes),

oral thrush (white tongue),

arthritis,

sores or bumps in and around the mouth, and
generalized rashes.

9 CAN I CONTRACT STI AS A RESULT OF MUTUAL MASTERBATION?

Yes you can and listed below are some examples:

Bacterial Vaginosis

Cytomegalovirus (CMV)

Herpes Simplex

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV, Warts)

Pubic Lice

Scabies

10. CAN I PREVENT GETTING STI or STD?

The only foolproof way is abstine

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