If you’re like most Americans, you probably think that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) don’t really apply to you. But that’s just not the case. There are many reasons why you should get screened for STDs: they can affect your long-term health, your fertility, and your sexual partners.
Doctors recommend you get an STD screening if:
- You’re under the age of 25. 50% of all STDS are in people under the age of 25. So if you’re lucky to be young, know your risk for STDs, practice safe sex, and get tested.
- You’ve had unprotected sex or have a new sex partner. You should get tested for STDs if you’ve had sex with a partner’s whose sexual history is unclear to you. And when you enter into a new sexual relationship, both partners should get tested. Women can have silent STDs like Chlamydia that can affect men symptomatically, so symptom free doesn’t mean STD free.
- You’re a woman. Again, women can have STDs that are asymptomatic. But even though they show no symptoms than can rob a woman of her fertility. Furthermore, STDs can potentially be passed from mother to child during the birth process. STD testing is recommended for women at certain points and can be done in conjunction with her annual well woman exam.
- You’re an adult: An estimated 20 million new cases of STDs occur in the US each year. That means that all adults should get tested for STDs, including for HIV at least once during adulthood.
Basically, every adult should get tested for STDs, especially women. It is important for your health and that of the people you love. Learn where you can get screened for STDs.