Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
No-one really likes to think about getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD). But avoiding the issue is no protection from being affected by it.
It's quite simple: If you're sexually active, you could be at risk of getting an STD. The only real guarantee that you're not at risk is if you're in a mutually monogamous relationship and have been screened for any infections you may have contracted in the past.
Get over the embarrassment
Getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) is probably one of the biggest dreads for any sexually active woman. But however upset or annoyed you may be about discovering you have an STD, it's probably more embarrassing to pass one on. So the best reaction is swift action.
It's completely understandable that you may be uncomfortable (in more ways than one) dealing with an STD. However, treatment is usually very simple and successful — and much better than suffering in silence with unpleasant symptoms, or passing them on to another sexual partner.
If you get an STD, you're not alone.
It might not be much comfort, but if you do get an STD you're certainly not alone. In fact, rates are rising fast. Chlamydia has increased by a massive 150 percent between 1998 and 20071. During the same time period, herpes also increased by 51 percent and gonorrhoea increased by 42 percent.
Even more surprising, syphilis (often thought of as a Victorian-style malady) is very much a modern trend, having boomed by 1,828 percent between 1998 and 20071. Although more than half of these diagnoses were in men who have sex with men, syphilis infection has also risen dramatically among women and heterosexual men too. So please don't assume it's only other people who are at risk.
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