How Do You Get an STD?
Sexually transmitted diseases or STDs are contagious infections. They easily spread from one person to another during unprotected sexual contact. Not only that, but these diseases could also spread through non-intimate contact. That means you are prone to get STDs more than you expect, and you should take good care to remain protected.
How Do You Get an STD in the First Place?
Sexual Contact:
Let’s first discuss the ways by which STDs can spread through sexual contact. Formerly, it was considered that vaginal intercourse could lead to these infections. Many people believe it till date; however, the truth is that it is not the only culprit. The other thing is that sexual contact is a wider term, and not confined to intercourse only.
Other than intercourse, activities that can lead to the spread of these infections are kissing, genital touching, oral sex, anal sex and sharing or using of sex toys.
The mode of transmission of STIs is also dependent on their causative agents including bacteria, viruses and parasites.
Bacterial STIs: The sexually transmitted infections that are caused by bacteria usually spread through body fluids. Body fluids are the growing sites of these bacteria. Semen, saliva and vaginal fluid are the major bacteria carrying fluids of the patients. Other than these, contract with pus, mucous or blood of the infected person could also lead to the infection. We can simply say that any physical contact in which exchange of bacterial carrying fluid occurs could lead to risk of infection.
Viral or Parasitic STIs: The spread of these kinds of infections is not restricted to the bodily fluids only. Other than semen, blood, saliva, and vaginal fluids, these infections are transmitted through skin to skin contact.
For all kinds of sexually transmitted infections, the transmission risk increases when mucus membranes are contacted. Mucus membranes are the tissues that surround the body parts like canals and cavities of the mouth, nose, throat, urethra, vagina and rectum. These membranes are porous and allow easy entrance for the viruses, bacteria or parasites into the body.
Non-Sexual Contact
As the name suggested, STIs are the infections that spread through sexual contact, but there are other means as well. There are some infections that are considered as a common infection as well as STIs for example mononucleosis, vaginitis, and intestinal parasites.
It is essential to consider other mode of disease transmission as well like bed sharing, child birth, breast feeding, needles sharing, food sharing, and surgical procedures. As STIs are spread through contact with infected fluid or skin, it can transmit through non-sexual ways as well.
Pubic lice and molluscum contagiosum could occur through skin contact in the day care center. HIV and hepatitis spread through blood like by sharing of intravenous drug needles. Syphilis and herpes could pass to the child if the mother is infected at the time of delivering the baby. PID, NGU and vaginitis can transmit by catheters and IUDs moving bacteria out of vagina or into the urethra. This list could go on. So, this is recommended to think about all the non-sexual ways of contracting the infections as well when you want to remain safe from sexually transmitted infections.
Do I have any Sexual Transmitted Disease (STD)?
Usually people identify or get a doubt about the whether they get infected with a disease in the body through the symptoms. Based on the symptoms the person will go for a test to confirm whether the person is infected or not. But when it comes to STDs some of the diseases in the STD list do not manifest. Therefore it is better to get tested so that you can take any necessary action at the earliest. We can’t say that all the people who come in contact with us will be free from STDs hence it is good to take STD test.
Should I get tested for an STD even though I do not show symptoms?
Not all the STD’s will reveal the symptoms in your body so before it spreads it is better to check and take necessary actions. STDs are quite commonly happens to any person who comes in sexual contact with the person who is infected with STDs. The sexual contact may be in the form of intercourse, oral and in any other ways. Any person who comes in contact with the STD affected person is really at risk.
How Do You Test for STDs?
The tests included in the STDs test are chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis, HIV, syphilis and herpes in oral and genital. Urine test will be taken to identify chlamydia, gonorrhea and the blood test will be taken to identify hepatitis A, B and C, HIV, syphilis and herpes in oral and genital. The best advantage is that no distressing questions will be asked to take the tests in the centers included in STDCheck.com and STDTestExpress.com.
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(How to You Get An STD?)
Category: STD Testing Guide