Life is a beautiful gift of God, and sickness in any form feels like a punishment. Growing age comes with its adventures and excitements. Many young adults make mistakes that they regret later in life. Being physically attractive and active is what every adult wants. People and places do not always go in one’s favor and unfortunate issues arise when one doesn’t pay attention to details. STD is one common concern of uprooting among many teens and adults nowadays.
What is STD?
STD stands for sexually transmitted diseases, which includes several different diseases that one might catch from their partner. Sexually transmitted infections are a result of intimate contact with a partner who already has an STI. People with more sexual partners are more likely to get exposed to STIs/STDs. Though having sexual intimacy is not the only reason for attaining STD, there are other factors as well that might contribute to STD. Previously it was considered odd to get tested for STD and people usually didn’t see a physician to get a cure, however, technology has bought ease for testing these diseases, and suspicious partners can utilize an at home STD test to diagnose if they have an STD or not.
Common Risk Factors of STD
Common risk factors of STD are;
- Increased number of sexual partners
- Inconsistent condom use/ unprotected sex
- Skin injuries
- Blood transfusion
- The severity of a partner’s infection
- Type of sex (manual, anal, vaginal, oral)
- Type of partner’s STD/STI (if they have)
- Overall health and the health of your immune system
Common Causes of STD
Many infections are included under the STDs. Bacterial STDs comprise chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. Viral STDs include HIV, genital herpes, genital warts (HPV), and hepatitis B. Trichomoniasis is caused by a parasite. Semen, blood, vaginal secretions, and sometimes saliva become the areas where the STD germs mostly reside and get transferred to the partner. Most of the organisms are spread by vaginal, anal, or oral sex, but some, like those causing genital herpes and genital warts, may be transfused through skin contact. Hepatitis B can occur even by sharing personal items like a toothbrush, razor, etc. Pregnant women can also get some of the STIs transmitted via vertical transmission or through breast milk.
Types of STDs
There are a number of different STIs, but some more prevalent forms are;
- Human papillomavirus (HPV),
- Herpes
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- HIV
- Syphilis
- Hepatitis C
- Trichomoniasis
How Lifestyle Can Play Part in Spreading STD?
If you are an adult, you need to keep yourself keen on your health, and if you have growing teens around you, make sure you make them understand the consequences of acquiring STDs. Many personal factors can affect and cause STDs. It’s possible to stay healthy without being abstinent.
Age
People under the age of 25 are more likely to get affected by STDs.
Gender
Women are more prone than men to develop STDs, than women under the age of 25. They are biologically more susceptible to STIs than older women because their bodies are not mature enough and they are more likely to experience tearing during intercourse. The immature body can attract more infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea namely.
Sexual Preferences
Heterosexuals are also prone to get STDs. Men who get involved with other men are mostly impacted by syphilis and HIV.
Unprotected Sex
It is commonly observed that using a birth control barrier can help to avoid STDs, though; there is no guarantee of it. It has been studied that viruses like HIV, which have a high transmission rate, show a reduced transmission rate when condoms are used. Even if you are having contraceptives to avoid pregnancy, using external protection would help you to decrease the chances of attaining STDs/STIs.
Common Symptoms of STD
Since there are several kinds of STDs and STIs, each kind shows a different sign. Most of the time STDs go unnoticed because the range of signs they exhibit is often misunderstood. The signs and symptoms often appear after a few days of experiencing an STD infection. Signs and symptoms that might indicate an STD include:
- Pain during sex
- Painful or burning urination
- Unusual or odorous vaginal discharge
- Unusual vaginal bleeding
- Sores or bumps on the genitals or in the oral or rectal area
- Sore, swollen lymph nodes, particularly in the groin but sometimes more widespread
- Discharge from the penis
- Lower abdominal pain
- Fever
- A rash over the trunk, hands, or feet
Preventions
For the prevention of STDs, the first thing to do is to make lifestyle changes. Avoid seeing several partners and be very precautious of your health. If you feel like having the above-mentioned symptoms, get yourself tested or get a home-based test to check yourself. Vaccinations for certain STDs are also available; make sure you have got your jab. Use condoms and dental dams consistently and correctly, don’t consume alcohol extremely or use drugs, and communicate the situation with your partner or with someone trusted who can make you feel better.
Carol
information sourced by the author for luxuryactivist.com. All content is copyrighted with no reproduction rights available. Images are for illustration purposes only. Featured image source: Firstpost.
