Sex talks, but it’s not everyone’s favorite conversation. The first “birds in the bees” talk with parents can be awkward with very little eye contact, and when your doctor asks you about your sexual history you ask yourself, “Ok, how honest should I be here?”
The awkwardness of serious sex conversations usually prevents people from actually having them. So a lot of important information about safe sex, sexually transmitted diseases and testing is never discussed.
As a volunteer with Planned Parenthood, I’m surprised at how many of my friends were taught complete lies — or nothing at all — about sex and sexually transmitted diseases. No, getting tested is not painful. No, it’s not time-consuming. But yes, it is necessary.
April is STD Awareness Month, so it’s a good time to set the record straight. Here are the facts on STDs and STD testing that you may not already know:
- Half of the 20 million reported cases of STDs each year involve people under 25, even though we’re only 25 percent of the sexually active population. In 2012, 70 percent of all newly diagnosed chlamydia cases were among people under 25 (more than a million new cases). Young people account for the largest percentage of new HIV infections in the U.S. each year.
- If not treated, STDs can lead to serious health outcomes like increased risk of cervical cancer and infertility. So get tested!
- Even if you don’t notice any symptoms, you could still have an STD. Many STDs don’t have any symptoms. For example, 75 percent of women and 50 percent of men with chlamydia have no symptoms. And on average, people with HIV don’t develop symptoms for 10 years. So the only way to know your status for sure is to get tested.
- That goes for you AND your partner. It may be an awkward conversation, but getting tested is important for protecting you and your partner. It takes away that “what if” stress that could be in the back of your mind, so you can focus on…other things.
- WEAR CONDOMS. Don’t believe the rumors: “Protected” sexual experiences are just as pleasurable. Going “bare-back” doesn’t make it any better. Condoms provide the best protection against STDs. In the case of HIV, a condom makes sex 10,000 times safer than not using a condom. Birth control pills may prevent pregnancy, but they don’t protect against STDs. You can find out more about using both male and female condoms at www.takestwoapp.org.
- Don’t sweat it — getting tested is painless and quick! Ask your doctor for a test, and all you have to do is urinate in a cup (for HIV testing, all that’s needed is a swab of your cheek). Easy!
- The sooner you know your status, the sooner you can get treated. The good news is that most STDs, including HIV, are treatable, and many are curable.
Temple’s Student Health Services building on Liacouras Walk and our local Planned Parenthood center offers STD testing. Keep sex safe, healthy and in your control by getting tested regularly. It will only benefit you in the long run, and those sex talks? They’ll get easier…until you have to have them with your kids, nieces and nephews or students, of course.