When it comes to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), the unfortunate truth is that there are many individuals who are completely unaware that they have been infected, increasing their risk of experiencing health problems and complications in the future, and raising the possibility of passing the infection on to partners unknowingly.
If you have ever been with a sexual partner in your lifetime, then you are at risk of an STI. Even if you are not experiencing any symptoms, it’s good to go for regular sexual health check-ups just to be sure, regardless of how careful you are when it comes to sex. Here are some of the top reasons to get checked up more often:
#1. Symptoms Aren’t Always Present:
Many people mistakenly believe that if they were to contract a sexually transmitted infection, they would begin to notice the symptoms straight away. Although this can sometimes be the case, it’s important to know that it’s not always this way.
In fact, many people can have diseases such as chlamydia for months or even years and have no idea. Because of this, regular sexual health screening will give you peace of mind and help to find any potential infections as early as possible to treat them.
#2. STIs are Best Treated Early:
Most common sexually transmitted diseases are easy for medical professionals to detect via screening and can be easily treated and cured if caught during the early stages. However, it’s when an STI is left for long periods of time undetected that problems can begin to arise.
If you contract a sexually transmitted infection and have no symptoms, it could be a while before you or your doctor notice that something is wrong if you don’t go for regular STD testing. After a while, STI’s can lead to more serious health problems and can even impact your fertility.
#3. Protection Isn’t 100% Effective:
When it comes to protecting yourself from sexually transmitted diseases, it’s important to always use a condom and if this is something that you do, then don’t stop! However, it’s also important to keep in mind that using protection isn’t always a 100% effective method of avoiding STIs.
Bear in mind that accidents can happen; condoms aren’t totally split-proof and they can even come off during sex, increasing your chance of getting an STI. It’s also important to note that birth control methods do not protect against sexually transmitted infections.
#4. Protect Your Partner:
Along with protecting yourself from sexually transmitted diseases and ensuring that you avoid the complications that can arise from leaving them untreated, going for regular screenings will also protect your current and any future sexual partners that you have.
Failing to go for sexual health check-ups could mean that if you have an STD that you’re unaware of, this could pass to any partners that you have and subsequently to any future partners of theirs, especially if you are not in an exclusive relationship. So, go for regular screenings and help to keep the STD rates down!
Do you go for regular sexual health check-ups? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
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