Female 1: If you have an STD, you may feel frightened or embarrassed, but you are not alone. Twenty million Americans are diagnosed with an STD every year.
Female 2: You have just received your test results and you have a sexually transmitted disease while some STDs can be cured quickly and many can be treated, the strong emotions that follow may be tougher to face.
First and for most know that acquiring an STD can happen even when you use protection. STDs can result form bacteria, viruses or parasites that are passed from person to person. What this means is that someone else passed an STD on to you. Once you are diagnosed with an STD, you will talk to your doctor about the next steps.
When cut early, some STDs like syphilis, Chlamydia, and gonorrhea can be easily cured with antibiotics which means they will no longer live in your body. However, left untreated this can lead to serious consequences like infertility. Other STDs will remain in your body for a lifetime, but their symptoms can be minimized with medications. These diseases include, but are not limited to HPV or genital warts and HSV or herpes. If you have an incurable STD, you may need to take medication either daily or when your infection is active for the rest of your life. You must also be aware that having one STD makes you much more vulnerable to inquiring infections from others.
If you have an STD, it is not recommended to have sex until you have completed treatment. When an STD can not be cured. it is a vital importance to discuss your sexual options with your partner. The male latex condom, the female condom and medications can reduce transmission risk. However, abstinence is the only guarantee.
STDs that have physical symptoms such as genital warts and herpes are much more likely to be spread when a person is having an outbreak. For this reason, you might want to stick to cuddling when you are experiencing STD lesions. But as with all STDs, those that produce lesions can be infectious, even when an outbreak is not present. Yet another good case for using a condom.
If you are one of the million of Americans living with an STD, you may find it helpful to reach out to a support group in your area. Individual and couples counseling my also help. Remember to talk to your doctor and your partner about the best way to prevent transmitting STDs.
Female 1: Want to learn more check out other videos and sources on this site for more information.
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