Guest blogger, Meghan Delaney, WHNP-BC, C-EFM, talks about some of the basics of Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD). It does not just happen to someone else. The statistics are startling so it is important to know what to do if you suspect STDs.
Sexually transmitted diseases are those that are passed from one person to another via sexual contact and include Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), Herpes Simplex Virus, Hepatitis, and HIV. These diseases can be spread via intercourse but some, including herpes and HPV, can be spread merely by genital contact.
Many STDs can be present without symptoms and, if they remain untreated, can result in long-term health consequences including damage to fallopian tubes leading to increased risk of infertility in the future. As a result, it is recommended that women under the age of 26 get routine annual Chlamydia and Gonorrhea testing as part of their Women’s Wellness exam and more frequent comprehensive STD testing with partner changes.
STD prevention is an important part of maintaining your female sexual health. If you are sexually active, it is important that a condom is used and used correctly with all sexual encounters until you and your partner have both been tested and treated for any STD, if present.
Southwest Contemporary Women’s Care provides comprehensive STD testing, treatment, and counseling. Please call our office to schedule routine STD testing or further discuss safe sex practices with one of our physicians or nurse practitioners.
For more information on STDs, click here to view the CDCs infographic, Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Young Americans.
Resources
Centers for Disease Control. (2016). Adolescents and STDs. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/std/life-stages-populations/stdfact-teens.htm
Centers for Disease Control. (October 2016). Reported STDs in the United States. Retrieved
from https://www.cdc.gov/nchhstp/newsroom/docs/factsheets/std-trends-508.pdf