7 Cups 5th Birthday Day 2: 5 Facts about STDs/STIs!
This year, for 7 Cups's 5th birthday, the Sexual Health team wants to share 5 facts for 5 days about different Sexual Health topics!
Next up: Sexually Transmitted Diseases/Infections!
1. 1 in 2 sexually active people will get a sexually transmitted disease or infection, but the good news is, that they are avoidable through testing and proper protection and when contracted, there are treatments to in some cases cure and in other cases manage the infection. If you do contract an STD/STI, you are not alone and it will be okay!
2. Stigma about STDs and STIs is one of the biggest reasons people avoid getting tested and communicating with partners, which actually raises the chances of contraction. You should always feel comfortable asking your partner if they have been tested, talking about birth control and protection, and if you have contracted an STD/STI, informing all of your recent partners so they can be tested
3. Confused about "disease" vs. "infection"? Many experts have been suggesting use of the term STI to clear things up. The idea of "disease" suggests a clear medical problem with obvious symptoms, but many of the most common STDs/STIs have no signs of symptoms for a majority of people infected or mild one only. This includes chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and HPV
4. Teens and young adults (15-24) account for 50% of new STD/STI cases, often because of a lack of sex education or willingness to buy condoms. That said, the rate of infections are on the rise among older adults as many believe that once they are past the age of childbearing, they no longer need to use protection
5. STDs/STIs can be transmitted through any form of intimate contact - including sexual touching, oral sex, vaginal sex, and anal sex. Being aware of the risk is the first step to protecting yourself from it and regularly getting tested can allow you to proactively treat any STDs/STIs that are contracted.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Infections can be scary to think about, but they are not the end of the world and if you are living with one, you are not alone!
Learn more from any of the resources below, but this in particular is a great one!
resources:
https://beforeplay.org/stds/
https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-teens-and-stds
http://www.ashasexualhealth.org/stdsstis/
https://www.rush.edu/health-wellness/discover-health/6-surprising-facts-about-stds
Thank ypu for the informarion.
How to get people to use condoms if they don't want to though? They claom to have never been with anyone else so they don't think it's necessary to use one
@purpleHeart16 - I find that telling them you won't have sex unless they use one is pretty motivating :) I make this a 100% requirement with partners and even though some try to push the boundary, I have found that when they realize I am serious about it, they usually are willing to.
@Anomalia
thank you!!