It’s that season. That wonderfully cold, dry and illness bringing season we call ‘winter.’ We’ve only been back in school four weeks now, and I bet there’s been several absences already – not all due to lack of motivation or procrastination. In February, everyone will have to be on special alert as the flu season peaks during this month. But, the flu isn’t the only disease you should be worrying about each year.. hopefully you are also concerned with regularly checking yourself for STIs/STDs.
Mini recap: STI stands for sexually transmitted infections and STD is sexually transmitted disease. Nonetheless, the acronyms both refer to sexual infections, but STD refers to infections that become disease. i.e. contracting HPV can lead to cervical cancer
According to Exposed Blog, “many STDs are accompanied by flu-like symptoms, such as sore throat, fever, muscle aches, and swollen glands,” which one can see is obviously an issue. Many people remain undiagnosed since these symptoms are so similar to such a harmless disease in comparison to STIs. That being said, not all STIs are dangerous and killing off people; however, when left untreated there are quite a few that can lead to life-long complications, and yes, even death. The longer the STI is left untreated, the more dangerous it becomes. Furthmore, some STIs are asymptomatic meaning there are no physical symptoms to tell you something is off within. This is why STI testing is so very important to maintaing a healthy body and life. Here is another recap by Very Well Health giving five solid reasons to be STI tested, even if you’re a virgin!
So, if you are sexually active (engaging in oral, vaginal, or anal sex) it would be best for you to regularly get a check-up. But, then that leads one to wonder how and where? Well, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests “at least once a year [get tested] for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea,” and that “all adults and adolescents from ages 13 to 64 should be tested at least once for HIV.” They also advise bisexual and gay men to be tested more frequently for HIV (every 3 to 6 months); furthermore, they report people engaging in unprotected sex and/or share drug injection equiment (such as needles) to test for HIV at least once a year.
Now, where should you go? Well, if you have insurance and see a doctor on a regular basis, you can request STI/STD testing through them whenever needed. Depending on your insurance coverage, this may or may not be covered. If not, there are still options, at least here in the Denver area. Here are the five closest places to DU registered in the CDC:
1. Liver Health Connection Hepititus
- FREE: Hepititus C testing
- Offered: Hepititus B testing and Hepititus C testing
2. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
- FREE: HIV Test and STD Test
- Offered: Chlamydia Test, Conventional Blood HIV Test, Gonorrhea Test, Rapid Blood HIV Test, and Syphilis Test
3. Sisters of Color United for Education
- FREE: HIV Test and STD Test
- Offered: Rapid Blood HIV Test
4. Denver Health Federico F. Peña Southwest Family Center
- Offered: Chlamydia Test, Conventional Blood HIV Test, Gonorrhea Test, Hepatitis A Vaccine, Hepatitis B Vaccine, Herpes Test, HPV Vaccine, and Syphilis Test
5. Tri-County Health Department
- FREE: Hepititus C testing, HIV Test, and STD Test
- Offered: Chlamydia Test, Gonorrhea Test, Hepatitis C Test, and Rapid Blood HIV Test
If you’d like to explore yourself and find a place closer to your location or a medical center you can be comfortable with, check out the CDC’s website here, enter your zipcode, and bam get yourself checked out!