Of course you always want to prevent an STI, because no one is waiting for this. However, it can happen that you will have to deal with an STD once in your life.
At times it is wise to do a test anyway, to confirm or to rule it out. What moments are these? We list a few for you below.
Complaints that resemble an STI
A time when it is good to get tested for an STI is if you have complaints or symptoms that resemble it. The symptoms you have are different for each STI. Symptoms can also be different in men and women. Think of symptoms such as itching, irritation, red skin, blisters or pain. Have you had unprotected sex and are you starting to experience these types of symptoms? Then it is good to do a test. This is possible at your doctor’s office, but a home STI test is also a very easy way to find out if you have an STI or not.
One of your sex partners informs you
When it is also smart to do a test, it is when one of your sex partners informs you that he/she has an STD. It is nice that this person reports this, because if you are infected you can treat it as soon as possible.
You have changing bed partners
If you have changing bed partners, it is also smart to have yourself tested for an STI every now and then. If you have unprotected sex with changing bed partners, you run a higher risk of an STI. That’s why it doesn’t hurt to test yourself a little more often. It is recommended to do this once every few months. If you are infected, you will not be walking around with an STD unnecessarily long because you test yourself regularly.
When you start a new relationship
If you are in a new relationship, it is also smart to do an STI test for both. If you would like to have unprotected sex, this will give you more certainty. By testing both for an STI, you rule out the possibility of infecting each other. If both you and your partner don’t have an STD, you both know for sure that you can’t contract it from each other.
If you are pregnant
An STI when you are pregnant can lead to problems with the birth of your child. You definitely want to avoid this. STDs do not always cause complaints, so it does not hurt to test this when you are pregnant. If you have an STD among the members, this can be treated quickly and if you don’t have it, it’s nice to know.
At these times it can be good to do an STI test to confirm or exclude your feeling that you are infected. But even if you have no symptoms or are dealing with one of these moments, it is also possible to test. Don’t keep walking around with uncertainty, just do a test to be sure.
Bron: soapoli-online.nl