Knowing and being educated about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) signs, symptoms, testing options, treatment, and preventing coming in contact with them is important to our sexual health. STDs are transmitted when an individual has been infected with an STD and they pass it through having unprotected squishy or exposing infected body fluids (vaginal secretions, semen) or sores to another person’s mucous membrane (vagina, urethra in a man, anus, but also your eyes, ears, and nose). Yes, you have to be worried about your eyes, ears, and nose because they are mucous membrane and bacterial STDs can get in there. Most STDs like dark, moist, and warm places to live and grow. This means it is time to let go of that myth that you can get an STD on a toilet seat that is cold, dry, and usually in a light area.
Bacterial STDs include Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, and Trichomoniasis, which can be treated and cured by antibiotics. However, if your partner has been exposed to the same bacterial STD, they too should get tested and be treated with antibiotics. You don’t want to keep passing it back and forth between each other. Viral STDs are sometimes summarized as the four “H’s”: HIV, Herpes, HPV (genital warts), and Hepatitis (which some have vaccines). Viral STD’s can be treated with medications to reduce exposure to others, minimize symptoms, and manage the infection; however, they typically are not curable. Again if your partner(s) has been exposed, they need to be tested and get treated as well. Knowing how to test and treat STDs is a powerful tool in preventing exposure or even further health complications.
Knowing the symptoms of STDs is part of taking care of your squishy. STD symptoms might include an itchy genital area, burning when you urinate or go pee, unusual discharge that may be yellow or greenish and it could smell, or it could be painful when having squishy (sex). When someone has an STD in his or her squishy it can become irritated and can’t protect itself like it could when your squishy is healthy and in tact. Think about if you had a rash on your arm, it is more likely to be exposed to other potential infections because the skin isn’t healthy and in tact. So if your squishy is all irritated from an STD and it gets exposed to another STD; it is much easier to contract that new STD. It is also important to know that STDs often go asymptomatic or without any symptoms; which means most people don’t even know that they have an STD or that they could possibly be exposing someone else with that STD. Yet another reason to know the signs and symptoms, get tested regularly, and get treated if you have been exposed.
When exposed to an STD, it is important to get tested. You can test with your primary care doctor, at a community clinic or STD clinic, and some even have home test kits. Testing for STDs could include urinating in a cup, taking a blood test, swabbing of the infected area, or even oral mucosal testing. If you have been exposed to an STD, inform your sex partner(s) so they can get treated and you don’t pass it back and forth. Untreated STDs could lead to spreading it to other sex partners, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, sterility, or possibly death. The more you educate yourself about STD risks, signs and symptoms, testing and what is “normal” or not for your own body will help you to identify if you have been exposed or need to get tested and or treated for STDs.
If you have any questions about STDs, please feel free to post on my page or leave me a message! #squishytalk
Thank you,
SquishyLady
Original Post: Oct 4, 2015 @ 15:14