STD Testing: A Must In Monogamy

Far too many people are under the misconception that there is no need to be tested for STDs if you’re in a monogamous relationship. It’s time to wake up and understand why STD testing is important no matter how faithful you and your partner have been.

Sneaky STDs

The most common STDs also happen to be some of the sneakiest. Sexually transmitted diseases like HPV, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia and even HIV often produce no symptoms and can be in your body for years while going undetected. What this means is that you or your partner could have contracted any one of those infections long before you ever entered into your monogamous relationship which means that one of you may have already infected the other.

Some Scary Statistics

It’s human nature to want to believe that bad things don’t happen to you, but that kind of thinking could end up costing you your health and even your life. Here are some scary statistics on the sneaky STDs listed above;

•    Over 80 percent of women will develop one or more strains of HPV before age 50
•    More than 140 million people are infected with Chlamydia worldwide
•    Approximately 62 million people are infected with Gonorrhea globally

Those numbers are frightening to say the least, especially when you consider how many cases are going undetected on top of these astonishing numbers!

Getting Tested

STD testing is something that all men and women who have been sexually active need to do annually. Even if you wear condoms and practice safe sex and even if you and your partner are in a committed relationship you are still at risk. Sexually transmitted diseases can be passed on not only through sexual intercourse but also through anal sex and oral sex as well. Also, some STDs, such as HPV, can be passed on through skin-to-skin contact which means that not even condoms are a guarantee.

Getting tested for STDs only takes a few minutes of your time and can offer you and your partner peace of mind while possibly even saving your fertility, sex life and your life in general. With all of the potential risks there is no good reason to forgo STD testing in this day and age, so speak to your doctor or health care provider about getting tested for STDs. Be sure to incorporate testing for sexually transmitted diseases into your yearly physical or if you’ve had unprotected sex or feel that you have been exposed to an STD.