STIs, STDs, & everything in-between
It’s happened. You thought you crossed your T’s and dotted your I’s, but you got it anyway. But what did you get, exactly? Is it an STD - and STI? Something in-between? Does that even exist?? We’re here to talk about the who, what, when, and where of STIs - formerly known as STDs.
What’s an STD?
According to Planned Parenthood, STDs - Sexually Transmitted Disease - are diseases spread from one person to another during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. There are really common STDs (think Herpes and Chlamydia) and there are really uncommon STDs (like Lymphogranuloma venereum and Mycoplasma genitalium). Without treatment, STDs can cause some pretty serious health issues. Luckily for you, STDs are fairly easy to treat!
What’s an STI?
An STI is, essentially, the same thing as an STD. The only real difference is in the name - Disease vs. Infection. According to Starkville Urgent Care Clinic, the name change came about because of stigma. The term STD - previously known an VD (venereal disease) has been around for quite some time, with the actual diseases being around for even longer.
According to American Family Care - Urgent Care, the name change, from STD to STI, happened in around 2013.
Enough History - What Do I Do Now?
Get tested! If you’re a sexually active person - and in this day and age who isn’t? - then you should be getting tested at least once a year. If you have more than 1 partner, share IV needles, or don’t always practice safe sex, you should get tested every 3-6 months. Testing is ALWAYS confidential.
What is Treatment Like?
Experts at VeryWellHealth state that only healthcare professionals can determine the appropriate treatment for any STD/STI. A prescription medication will usually do the trick for curing most STIs; however, viral STIs can be managed - not cured - to prevent a recurrence, slow disease progression, and monitor for any complications.
Here’s a short comparison list of STIs:
Curable STIs:
Syphilis || Gonorrhea
Chlamydia || Trichomoniasis
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Manageable STIs
Hepatitis B || Herpes
HIV || HPV
Who? What? When? Where?
Getting tested is super easy and pretty painless. Testing is available at your local Planned Parenthood Center, your doctor’s office, or healthcare clinic. Depending on your health insurance, you may be able to get free testing!
Use this testing locator to find a center near you: https://www.stdaware.com/test-centers
-10/10 Would NOT Recommend
So how do you prevent something like this from happening again? Well, you have safe sex! Use a condom. Remember though, getting an STI isn’t anything to be embarrassed or ashamed of. It happens to the best of us. Just handle your shit and GET TESTED!