Living in the internet era has made our life so much easier than ever before. We are fortunate enough to have everything we need in just one click away. However, there are certain things that have brought us to a level where we have never been before, that is diseases and depressions. Talking about diseases, new Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) cases are making records every year.
In this article, we walk you through what are STDs, symptoms, 3 simple steps to prevent yourself from acquiring STDs, and much more.
What are STDs?
STDs are short forms of Sexually Transmitted Diseases which are also known as Sexually Transmitted Infections or STIs. As the name suggests, these diseases are named after the nature of the acquiring – STDs are typically spread from one person to another via sexual contact. Sexually Transmitted Infections are caused by various kinds of pathogens, like bacteria, viruses, parasites, and many others.
With the advent of the internet, hanging out with unknown people and having intimacy with strangers have become the norm. This is also worrisome because getting in contact with a person you have little knowledge of can lead to health complications like the contraction of STDs.
What are the Symptoms of STDs?
Symptoms of STDs may not come alive instantly after getting infected or after having sexual contact with an infected person. Studies reveal that it may take several weeks or even months for the initial symptoms to appear in the first place. This is one of the main reasons for the widespread STDs across the globe. As symptoms take a while to occur, people get in touch with other sex partners and continue having intimacies, resulting in the spreading of the disease across a large population without their knowledge.
Following are some of the common symptoms experienced by both men and women who are affected with STDs –
- Fever, Headache, and Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea
- Joint pain
- Jaundice
- Sore throat
- Dry cough
- Night sweat (only in HIV)
The above symptoms have a similarity with a general infection like flu, which again most people will misinterpret and take it casually. However, this can lead to more severity of the disease and result in long-term health complications.
Following are some of the symptoms that indicate you are infected with STDs –
- Genital discharge
- Anal itching
- Abdominal pain
- Vaginal bleeding in women
- Pain in tested for men
- Burning sensation during urination
If you have any of the above symptoms, then do not delay a bit and reach out to your doctor as quickly as possible. When it comes to STDs, the sooner you diagnose and start treatment the quicker you can recover without leaving any serious damage.
3 Tips for STD Prevention
If you are sexually active, that is having more than one sex partner, the following are three tips to reduce the chances of acquiring an STD.
1.Get tested for STDs
This is one of the most efficient ways to prevent yourself from getting into severe complications due to the late appearance of STD symptoms. As the symptoms do not exhibit in the initial phase and may occur only after the disease has progressed to an extensive infectious level, getting tested for STDs can significantly reduce your chances of getting extremely sick. To avoid embarrassment, there are at-home STD testing kits available to get screened for STDs sitting from your home.
2. Wash before and after intimacy
It is always said, prevention is better than cure, practising unsafe sex has its own price to pay. According to research, there are thousands of bacteria that get interchanged between genitals during sexual contact. It is always a good idea of washing yourself before and after sexual contact to wither away any infectious bacteria or viruses.
3.Pills
According to American Sexual Health Association (ASHA), a pill named PrEP has been approved in the year 2012 and marketed under the brand name Truvada comes with a combination of two antiretroviral drugs that guards you against the virus reproducing in the body. This pill is recommended for people who cannot abstain from engaging in sexual activity. However, this pill doesn’t guarantee prevention against every single STDs, as there are more than 20 different types of STDs.
Conclusion
It is always a good choice to get screened for STDs at least once every six months if you practice sex with more than one individual. Hanging out with strangers with one click of a button can be intimidating, but beware of the deadly STDs that are spreading around, it can cost you both time and money. Do not practice sex with multiple sex partners, try to avoid having sex before marriage, this was you can protect your health which is worth millions.
