Importance of Early Screening and Treatment of STDs

An STD is no different from any other type of disease when it comes to the importance of preventing or treating it. The thought of having a sexually-transmitted disease is a horrible prospect, but many of the illnesses that fall into this category can easily be treated, especially if they are in the incipient stages. Screening yourself for an STD when you have the symptoms of one should not be made after a long streak of second-thoughts. In the following, we will present you a few reasons why screening and treating an STD early is crucial. Why should I get an early screening? The thing with STDs is that they can be treated effectively, but if they’re not caught on time, things can go awry extremely quickly. The bacterium that causes syphilis, for instance, can be destroyed with antibiotics, but if the one who’s having it doesn’t get treated in time, it can cause life-threatening complications and lead to death. The same thing goes for HIV. Even though it’s incurable, it can be managed properly with antiretroviral medication. Chlamydia, the most common STD in the U.S. at the moment, can be cured rapidly, but not dealing with it in time can lead to infertility in both men and women. Genital warts, even though there’s no definitive cure for them, can be taken care of with various treatments when the HPV virus that causes them flares up. Gonorrhea can be treated effectively with antibiotics, just like chlamydia. The question shouldn’t be “Why should I get an early screening?” but “Why shouldn’t I?” The screening does not consist in more than having a drop of blood or urine sample tested. It’s that simple.

Early Treatment

Usually, people don’t go to the doctor’s office until their STIs have already reached late stages. In this case, the treatment will last longer and in some extreme cases, it won’t even work anymore. If you’re having any symptoms of an STD, it is imperative that you go to your doctor immediately. You can get rid of certain illnesses in less than two weeks, as long as they did not progress to the later stages. Having an STD is not an anathema or at least it should not be. All the people in the world, men and women included, will have an HPV infection at some point in their lives. Do you feel better now? You should not have any second thoughts on getting screened if you suspect you’ve been infected with an STD. It can easily make the difference between having a life-long condition and being STD-free within a month.

Concluding Remarks

STDs are everywhere. It’s a scary thought, but perhaps more than half of them are perfectly treatable. Even if you haven’t had multiple partners over the course of a year, you should still get a screening once every 12 months, just to be on the safe side. There is a certain stigma attached to having an STD, but you shouldn’t feel ashamed. Early screening and successful treatment go hand in hand, so don’t play around if you feel like you’ve gotten an STD.