5 Myths About STDs


So much wrong information about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
gets passed around that it's no surprise the diseases do too. Of course,
the only way to be 100% sure you won't get an STD like herpes,
chlamydia, or HIV, is not to have any type of sex (abstinence). But if
you do decide to have sex, you'll need to stay informed and learn what's
true — and what's not.

Here are 5 of the more common things that people get wrong about STDs.

Myth: Only "trashy" people get STDs.



Fact: STDs don't discriminate.





Rich people get STDs. Poor people get them. Athletes get them. Math
geeks get them. CEOs and professors get them. Even someone having sex
for the first time can get an STD. The only people who have no risk of
getting an STD are people who haven't had sex or any kind of sexual
contact.

What can you do? If you decide to have sex, always use a condom every
time. Even if you're already on another kind of birth control, like the
Pill, you should still use a condom. That's because condoms are the
only type of birth control that reduces the risk of getting an STD.

Myth: If your partner has an STD, you'll see it.



Fact: There's often no sign that a person has an STD.





Even doctors often can't tell by looking if people have STDs. So they
need to do tests, like bloodwork. People with STDs might not know they
have them: STDs don't always cause symptoms. But it is possible to carry
and spread the virus without ever having an outbreak. Untreated STDs
can add up to serious health problems, like infertility (the inability
to have a baby) or pelvic inflamatory disease (PID), which may land you in the hospital.

What can you do? Even if you both think you're clean, get checked out
before having sex. Then use a condom every time, just to be sure. It
can take a while for some STDs to show up on tests.