blog #7- Getting "Tested" Is The Responsible Thing To Do

     I can only imagine what I would tell someone close to me what I think they should do regarding STD testing....I have never been in this situation before although I am pretty positive I have known a lot of woman over my teen years and through my twenties that have been down this road, I just never actually heard about it probably because it's not an issue that a person wants broadcasted as if it were a public service announcement. Those are some funny words I just chose to use because in a sense an STD shouldn't be so private out of embarrassment or shame, it should be announced when applicable. It's a valid health concern for everyone involved who is sharing needles or having sex. The person who is affected most definitely should be honest and share important health information with the people they are tangoing with. Serioiusly, atleast let the person know they are at risk by being with you so that they can decide for themselves if they feel like dealing with an irritating case of crabs or something more serious like Syphilis.

     My advice to a loved one who suspects an STD would be simple-"Go find out!" And I would tack on there that "if you know you were negative before and you are certain that the STD was just given to you and you know by who then go ask them for money towards the medical and medication bill!" That's my initial reaction. Of course, this would be a sensitive and emotional conversation so I would include in my advice that I understood the embarrassment and humiliation they must feel but STDs are so common nowadays and treated all the time. I would say something along these lines, "Doctors see this sort of thing constantly and you are no different than anyone else. Hopefully, you have a good relationship with your doctor and comfortable enough to share personal info and dialogue about it. I think that would make it easier. The doctor wants you healthy and it's their job to help get you there and the only way they can is if you go talk to them and ask for the tests you need. It's the responsible thing to do for your health and the health of anyone you are involved with." Most of the time, those of us studying health related subjects or already have a career in the field know some info about STDs such as statistics, treatments, symptoms, etc. This is an advantage over those that don't because depending on the disease, it could bring some emotional relief to our loved ones who aren't as knowledgeable about STDs. They might be freaking our over something that is more of an irritant than something serious but in their mind it's the end of the world. With that being said, I would include some general stats for knowledge and to help calm my friend down. I would let them know that I had studied briefly STDs and learned that as many as 3.2 million teens have an STI and a ratio of 1:4 women age 14-19 are affected with something (Alexander, L. et. al., pp 175). New cases are popping up all over the place constantly. I would reassure my friend that many STDs are treatable with antibiotics including chlamydia, syphilis, gonnorrhea, and BV. (Alexander, L. et. al., pp. 179-185). Finally, I would tell my friend that if it would help I would go see the doctor with them if they would like and that I would be supportive of them through it. Waiting on test results alone can be agonizing. At the end of the ordeal, I would hope to hear my friend say that they would make better choices next time around and take better precautions. If you are single and mingling, how do you add "do you or have you ever had a STD?" to the checklist of standards for dating someone without coming across like a crazy person? It really should be something discussed just like finding out what they do for a living or what kind of car they drive or if they prefer cats or dogs.

Reference

Alexander, L. L., Alexander, W. J., Bader, H., Garfield, S., LaRosa, J. H. (2010). New Dimensions in 

     Women's Health. Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.