|
|
Health Services - Family Planning Program
Sexually Transmitted Infections Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are very common in humans. In fact approximately 75%
of all sexually active males and females will develop an STI at some point in their life. It is important to be aware of
what is normal and what is not for your body and get a regular checkup if you feel there is a possibility you have contracted
one. Many times there is a negative feeling toward STIs, which stops some people from seeing a doctor with "those
problems", but it is an important part of your health care and need to be taken care of as soon as possible.
One of the most important things to remember about STIs is that they can be passed from partner to partner even if there
are no symptoms at the time. Some STIs will have no symptoms at all, or may be so minor that a person may not even notice
anything is wrong. Some sexually transmitted infections can last for the rest of your life and may cause health problems
such as infertility, major illness, and even death. When a partner is diagnosed with an STI, it may create a difficult
situation; especially because they are all contagious & will more than likely be spread to the other partner at some point.
So how can you protect yourself and your partner from contracting a sexually transmitted infection? Safer sex is the
answer. This is considered anything that reduces your risk of getting an STI and condom use is one of the easiest ways to
do so. Body fluids (for example blood, vaginal fluid, and ejaculate) can all transmit infections, so keeping them
out of other people’s bodies can help reduce the risk. When used correctly, condoms are one of the best protections
against STIs and have many advantages to their use. Besides preventing pregnancy and STIs, condoms can help sex last
longer by holding off ejaculation. Unlike other barrier methods such as diaphragms, there is no need to see a doctor before
using one and they easy (and cheap!) to buy. Plastic condoms can take the place of latex if one partner has an
allergy. Sex includes oral and anal, not just vaginal. Many people think if they are not having vaginal intercourse,
they are not really having sex. However, many STIs can be transmitted from the genital area of the body to other parts; such
has the mouth and throat. It is important to keep yourself protected no matter what type of intercourse you engage in.
Use of alcohol or drugs can decrease your ability to make good decisions when it comes to having sex. Both of these
substances may make you feel like you can or should take risks that you wouldn’t normally take. Sex in situations
that include drugs and alcohol can quickly turn dangerous, so it is important to know your limits and avoid problems before
they happen.
The sexual history of both partners can tell you a lot about your risk for an STI. As the number of past partners
increases, so does the risk of getting an STI because the history of THOSE partners may not be known. If neither person has
had a partner in the past, shared needles, or ever had a sexually transmitted infection, there is relatively no risk for
an STI. The chart below can give you an idea of partner history comes into play.
For example, if you had 4 partners in the past and your current partner had 4 partners in the past, you have been
exposed to 15 different people.
Two of the most common STIs are gonorrhea and Chlamydia. Below are our fact sheets on these infections that include
symptoms and treatments.
Get Yourself Tested go to www.findSTDtest.org to find a testing site near you.
STD Fact Sheets
Click here for Chlamydia Fact Sheet - English
Click here for Chlamydia Fact Sheet - Spanish
Click here for Gonorrhea Fact Sheet - English
Click here for Gonorrhea Fact Sheet - Spanish
Women are more at risk for getting an STI than men because of their bodies. A vagina and rectum are more easily
infected than a penis and can be more difficult to notice that something is wrong because it’s on the inside of the
body, not the outside. This can cause an STI to be more severe because women may not notice they have any symptoms and
let the infection stay in their body longer, causing more damage. However, men can have STIs and not notice or have any
symptoms as well.
An example of this may be genital warts or herpes, which may have symptoms such as bumps or sores. Some people may
never see these symptoms but are still infected. In others, these bumps and sores can show up for a while and then go away;
but this does not mean the disease is gone. Both of these STIs are viruses, meaning they will be with you forever, whether
you are showing symptoms or not. During an outbreak, the warts or herpes blisters may be flat to the skin or so small a
person cannot see them, which is why these can get passed from one person to another without either one realizing there
was a problem.
Getting tested for STIs is as simple as asking your healthcare provider. At our clinic, we automatically test females
under the age of 25 for STIs as part of your annual exam. After age 25, you may just ask the clinician if you would
like to be tested. Males can also be tested at our clinic sites.
Protecting yourself from an STI is easy to do and a lot less trouble than getting treated for one. There are many
different ways to express your feelings to your partner than engaging in sex. A survey of Iowa high school students
asked them to list other ways besides sex they use to show they love someone. A few of their responses are listed
below*:
Being healthy about your sexual life is a key aspect of your healthcare. For teens just beginning this part of life,
a list of sexual health websites is available on our site. These sites have information about a lot of different topics
such as body image, your anatomy, alcohol and drugs, and much more.
|
