Guard your health: Smart Ways to Protect Yourself from STD’s

Having sexual intercourse or sexual contact with someone that is infected is how sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) occur. Infertility, premature births, miscarriages, and the newborn baby being infected, can result from women having sexually transmitted diseases.

The transfer of body fluids including blood, vaginal secretions and semen, spread sexually transmitted diseases. Provided that you are knowledgeable of all the facts about sexually transmitted diseases there are things that can be done to protect yourself.

How to Protect Yourself from an STD

●     The best protection from STD is not having sex.

●     It is also safe to have monogamous sex with a single uninfected partner.

●     You and your partner should discuss past needle drug use and sexual partners. Do not have sex with anyone that you think have an STD.

●     Examine your partner for discharge, redness, a sore, rash or any other signs of STD before having sex with them. Do not have sex if anything you see worries you.

●     Anal, oral and vaginal sex requires use of a latex condom (rubber). Most of the time condoms help to protect you from STDs. 

●     There are a number of STD germs killed by the use of birth control jelly, cream or foam in addition to the use of condoms.

●     Every time you have a health exam, you should get checked for STDs. Anytime you have more than one sex partner you need to get checked for STD whenever you think you are at risk. You do not have to have symptoms to get tested.

●     You should not have multiple sex partners.

●     Learn the symptoms and signs of STD. Get checked if you notice symptoms that worry you. You and your partner have to be treated if you have an STD.

●     Do not have sex until the treatment has been completed when you have an STD.

●     You will end up with an STD if one of your sex partners has one, and you never know if they do or not.

Consequences of STDs

●     There is up to a ninety percent chance that you will get an STD if your partner has one from a previous relationship, even if you are monogamous. Sexually transmitted diseases are highly contagious; your partner should be treated before you have sex with them.

●     Anal and oral sex can also transit STD.

●     A mother that has an STD can pass it on to a child when she is giving birth.

●     The immune system is weakened by sexually transmitted diseases increasing your risk of other infections.

●     Unclear symptoms lead to the misdiagnosis of STDs in women. This makes it more likely they will infect their partner.

●     Bisexual men can pass STDs to a heterosexual partner from a homosexual partner.

Not having sex, using condoms and spermicides to kill the sperm are the best methods for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. There is not one hundred percent effectiveness with condoms. They can tear or break. You and your partner should both be tested for STDs before having sex, and condoms should always be used.

Tammy Mahan is a freelance medical and health writer, with 20 years of experience in the healthcare field. She shares several of her articles with Healthline.com .