STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease) is an infection/disease that can be passed from one person to another through sexual contact. STD is no longer new to every adult. By now, you should have a good understanding of the different diseases termed STD. STD is also known as STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections). Modern medicine has made early std testing faster, better and painless.
Sexual perversions and improper sexual practices have spread lots of different sexually transmitted diseases all over the world. HIV, gonorrhoea, genital herpes, syphilis, trichomoniasis, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection, hepatitis B and C, Zika virus and Chlamydia happens to be the most familiar ones.
Must read: Gonorrhea: Symptoms, Prevention And Treatment
STD can be contracted by both men and women. Affected pregnant women can even transfer the disease (e.g. HIV) to the innocent unborn child in the world if not detected early and handled accordingly. This is one of the scenarios where early STD testing comes into play.
Early STD testing is highly recommended as it helps you know your status, prevent future infections, protect others (wife, sex partners, etc) from the disease, know how to manage the disease if already affected and put your mind at ease.
STD like AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) attacks your immune system, destroys it and give room for other kinds of diseases like Tuberculosis to come in and deal with you. HIV can be present in the body for a very long time before it begins to manifest. Those who have no knowledge of their HIV status can easily spread it to other people including the innocent children.
So, early STD testing can detect the HIV on time, lower your chances of spreading it, and lower the extent of damage the HIV will cause. You can check your HIV status by yourself but its best in your own interest to meet a health professional for the test. Sometimes, an error might occur while doing the test and only a health professional can detect and handle the error properly.
Read: 7 Deadly Opportunistic Infections Associated With HIV/AIDS
Signs To Note and Go For Early STD testing
There are different signs or symptoms of STD like:
- Feeling of squeamishness,
- Burning sensation when peeing
- Small-sized reddened blisters on your penis
- Sense of uneasiness
- Lower abdominal pain
- Vaginal discharge in women
- Discharge from the penis
- Pain during sexual intercourse in women
- Bleeding between periods in women
- Testicular pain
- Heavy menstrual bleeding
- Painful bowel movements
- Anal itching
- Strong vaginal odour
- Vaginal itching or irritation
- Itching or irritation inside the penis
- Persistent fever
- Persistent headache
- Persistent sore throat
- Swollen lymph glands
- Persistent Rash
- Abnormal weight loss
- Fever
- Cough and shortness of breath
- Persistent, unexplained fatigue
- Soaking night sweats
- Chronic diarrhoea
- Unusual, opportunistic infections
- Small red bumps, blisters (vesicles) or open sores (ulcers) in the genital, anal and nearby areas.
If you experience any of the above-listed signs of STD infection, do yourself the honour of rushing down to the nearest Laboratory/Hospital for STD test.
ReadAlso: Erectile Dysfunction: Symptoms, Causes and 6 Ways To Avoid It
Even if you have checked your STD status before, it is recommended you go for early STD test every six months so that you will not be taken unawares. Sometimes, the virus or bacteria may still be in its incubation period and so, will not be detected by the test. Then, when you go back for the test after 3 – 6 months, the virus or bacteria might have passed the incubation period and laboratory tests can easily detect it.
Early STD testing will help put your worries behind you.
Do you know that HIV can still be cured while it is still at the preliminary stage? You see why it is paramount you go early STD test and catch these diseases early and treat them before they get into the next stage that can’t be cured. STD will be cured if detected early and appropriate medications are taken. Read more about STDs.
Go for early STD test today!
Prevention is better than cure!
Ochemba, thank you very much for explaining the importance of testing early for STDs. I found it interesting that early STD testing can help you to prevent potential infections in the future. I would imagine that home testing kits could make STD testing more common and help to further prevent the spread of STDs.