Preventing STDS: 5 Handy Tips

Preventing STDS: 5 Handy Tips

Every sexually active person should have at least a basic understanding of STDs and the risks associated with them. Additionally, knowing how to prevent STDs –– and how to mitigate against spreading STDs –– is just as important. Given the prevalence of venereal diseases in America preventing STDs may seem like an uphill battle, but know that you can take steps to lower your risk of infection. Here are five ways you can prevent, or significantly reduce the odds, of STD transmission:

Abstinence

The only way to completely ensure you don’t get an STD is to avoid sexual contact altogether. (Yes, that includes all types of sex: oral, vaginal, anal.) If you don’t have sex, you can’t get an STD. There are a few extenuating circumstances to keep in mind, however. First, since HIV can travel through the bloodstream, you could get HIV from a blood transfusion (very rare), by sharing needles, or –– in the remotest of biological possibilities –– by being bitten by someone who has HIV. Second, the HSV-1 strain (better known as oral herpes) can pass from one person to another through mouth-to-mouth contact. And lastly, mothers can sometimes spread STDs to their infants during childbirth or later on by breastfeeding. Which leads us to our second point . . .

Get Tested

Proper STD testing is a fantastic way to prevent the spread of STDs. Many don’t even realize they have an STD, and receiving regular STD tests are especially important for these groups of people:

• Expecting mothers who could unwittingly pass their infection onto their newborn.
• Sexually active people who engage with multiple partners.
• New couples.
• Anyone who engages in unprotected sex.
• Gay or bi-sexual men who have sex with other men.
• Young adults.
• Minorities.

As you can see, just about everyone should get tested for STDs.

Get Treatment

One reason why many people are reticent to seek out STD testing is that they fear what the results might be. Not only is this an irrational way to look at the problem, but it’s also counter-productive. If you’re worried about possibly having an STD, then you need to get tested ASAP. Being proactive will only help you in this situation. Remember, many bacterial STDs are easily treated and cured, and there are medical methods to effectively manage many viral diseases as well.

Use Protection

Latex condoms will lower the possibility of STD transmission during sex, but it will not prevent the possibility entirely. Note that proper condom use significantly reduces the risk of spreading STDs. However, certain diseases like herpes can still be transmitted despite condom usage.

Monogamy

If you only have sex with one person, and neither of you have an STD, then you’re golden. Keep this in mind though: the only way to be absolutely sure that both of you are STD-negative is to get tested. You can’t tell if someone has an STD just by looking at them, and in many instances, STDs will remain asymptomatic for a significant period of time.