7 Common Beliefs About STDs: Are They True or False?

7 Common Beliefs About STDs: Are They True or False?

Sexually transmitted diseases are surrounded by social stigma, myths, and misconceptions. It is important to break the shackles of this surrounding negativity to ensure your sexual health.

Here are a few common beliefs about STDs. Let’s find out whether they are true or false.

1. STD is nothing to worry about.
   False.

According to doctors, this is a profoundly destructive belief that can prevent you from timely testing and treatment. It can turn a curable infection into a health catastrophe. Please do not believe in this statement. You must worry about STDs and get tested as soon as you feel you are exposed. Your nearest urgent care clinic offers STD testing.

2. If you feel and look fine, you have no STD.
   False.

Most STDs are deceptive. They won’t show symptoms. You may be carrying the infection unknowingly. This is dangerous because you can spread the infection to others. Please do not wait for symptoms to appear. If you think you are exposed, visit your nearest clinic and undergo a test.

3. You can get STD if you have unprotected sex even once.
   True.

According to doctors, just one incident of unprotected sex can put you at a risk of contracting deadly infections like HIV. If you have had such an incident in the past even once, you must get tested for HIV in Arlington. Remember, infections like HIV stay in the body for decades. Their symptoms are deceptive too, such as skin rash, fever, sore throat, and others. You may think these are normal ailments and get their treatments. This does not remove the infection. That’s why doctors emphasize on testing.

4. Having an STD can jeopardize your sex life forever.
   False.

You must abstain from having sex when you are infected and when you are undergoing treatment. But you can resume having sex after you are completely cured. In case of incurable diseases like HIV, you can safely resume sexual activity once your viral load is suppressed to a particular extent. At this stage, you are no longer contagious. It is possible to lead a normal, healthy, and sexually fulfilling life through proper disease management or proper cure.

5. Every sexually active person must undergo STD testing.
   True.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all sexually active people to undergo testing atleast once in their lifetime. The frequency increases as per your sexual behavior. Urgent care clinics offer STD testing at reasonable rates. They also have a policy of keeping their patients’ identity confidential upon request. STDs are stigmatized in the society. The staff at the clinic understand this and allow patients to undergo testing and do the billing anonymously.

6. You can get STDs at any age.
   True.

STDs can happen to just anybody, irrespective of age, gender, race, religion, and social status. It is wrong to believe that sexually transmitted diseases happen only to the poorer sections of the society or only to young people or maybe those of a particular race. Anybody having unprotected sex is in danger of contracting a sexually transmitted infection, say doctors.

7. You can get STDs only when you have vaginal sex.
   False.

According to doctors, you can get STDs through oral sex, vaginal sex, and anal sex. If a person has cold sores in the mouth, you can get an infection even by kissing that person. Infections like herpes spread through skin-to-skin contact. In this case, you can be infected even without having sex! A person can contract HIV through blood transfusion or sharing needles or sex toys. A baby can get HIV through her infected mother through breastfeeding. A pregnant lady can easily transmit STDs to her fetus or newborn during vaginal delivery.

Get tested for HIV and other STDs in Arlington clinic and ensure your sexual health today.