Getting Tested: The Do’s and Don’ts
We are suffering. Not only are people failing our bodies, but our bodies are failing us. We recently lost a king, a phenomenal actor, and an overall exceptional man, Chadwick Boseman, to colon cancer.
His death was a reminder that life is precious and it is short. Discussing the importance of health and being proactive in knowing what’s going on in our bodies is crucial to our survival and can ultimately be a matter of life and death.
September is Sexual Health Month so it’s only right to discuss something that – in my opinion – isn’t discussed nearly enough in. And that, my friends, is sexual health and getting tested.
Yeah, I said it. We’re going to talk about getting tested!
I know, I know… you’re a responsible sexually active person who takes your sexual health seriously before, during, and after a new sexual partner. But… are you really?
Let’s find out with these two easy to answer questions.
When was the last time you got tested? Was it this year?
Have you ever gotten tested?
If you answered yes to both of these questions, you are doing amazing sweety! But, if you answered no to either of these questions, then we need to have a serious conversation. You’re not in trouble – with me at least – but you are absolutely and positutely being irresponsible. Unfortunately, you are not alone since there is misconception stigma surrounded around getting tested, which is odd because one out of every two people will contract an STD or STI by the age of 25 years old.
To some, when they hear about someone getting tested, they automatically assume that they “have something”. Believe it or not, this perpetuates the stigma that getting tested automatically means the person getting tested is “dirty”. And that’s the farthest from the truth. Getting tested is a personal responsibility that any and all sexually active people have, and to ignore that responsibility continues the vicious cycle of untreated diseases and infections.
For the sexually active, getting tested is a MUST. We live in a day and age where, I hate to say it, you don’t really know who’s doing what. And while I am not saying that having only one sexual will guarantee that you are “safe”, having multiple partners does increase your chances of contracting an STD or vice versa.
I think by now we all know I am sex positive and I believe in consensual sexual freedom. And no matter what, the truth of the matter is you can get diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease (or multiple) after intercourse only one partner. Just like pregnancy, it can happen after just one moment of weakness.
Getting tested is the safest and smartest thing to do for everyone involved, so here are some of the do’s and don’ts of getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
Do:
Get tested regularly. To the sexually active, you should get tested at least every three months, especially if you have more than one sexual partner. If you are diagnosed with an STD, you will at least be able to narrow down and identify who you may have contracted it from.
Disclose your status. If you are recently diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease, you have a moral responsibility to let your sexual partner(s) know – current and past – that they should get tested. If you are uncomfortable or uneasy doing this, Tell Your Partner will anonymously send out a text or email that they should get tested.
Don’t:
Be ashamed. There is nothing wrong with getting tested! You only have one body, and getting tested is the only way to make sure said body is in good condition and stays that way.
Take no for an answer. Some sexually transmitted diseases lay dormant and have no symptoms for weeks and even months. If you ask your health care provider to test you for STDs and they refuse, ask that they provide you with documentation that they refused to test you. I bet you’ll get that test or a lawsuit. Either one will be in your benefit.
These are a couple of the biggies that will get you in the habit of owning your sexual health. The more you get tested, the more comfortable you’ll be with the process, the more educated you’ll become about STDs, and the less shame you’ll experience. Dismantling the stigma is the goal. It will promote the end of self-hating thoughts, depression, and even suicidal thoughts related to being diagnosed with a disease or infection.
Believe it or not, many STDs are easily treatable and have a lesser chance of permanent harm if you are diagnosed quickly. You’ll realize that with some sexually transmitted diseases and infections, the situation isn’t as horrible as you may have imagined. Obviously, getting diagnosed isn’t the news anyone would choose to hear, but what’s important to realize is that anyone can fall victim, unless you have practiced abstinence since birth. And even then, there is a chance you can have an STD!
I say all that to say this: getting diagnosed with or currently having an STD only really tells you one thing: you probably should have practiced safer sex more consistently.
Each year, there are an estimated 376 million new infections with 1 of 4 STIs: chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis. End the stigma and shame of STDs because it’s more common than you think.
Stay committed, stay informed, and stay alive.
Love,
Autumn
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