STD EXAMINATION: IF YOU ARE DIAGNOSED WITH AN INFECTION
If you are diagnosed with an infection, your health care provider may recommend that your partner be screened or treated for that infection. If this presents problems—because of any number of issues that can arise in our relationships with other people—you can ask your provider for suggestions about the best way to handle the situation. Sometimes role playing, with the health care provider acting as your partner, can help you find an effective way to communicate this news. You may want your provider to call your partner for you, or you may want to come to the office or clinic together so that everything can be explained. As discussed earlier, in some instances the local or state health department will help you notify your partner or partners. It may or may not be possible to determine who had the infection first, and in any case that’s not the most important thing: the most important thing is for both partners to receive treatment. It is a sign of respect and concern for your partner to let him or her know what is going on with you. Lack of symptoms doesn’t always mean lack of infection: even without symptoms, he or she could have the infection. This is the time to ask any questions, no matter how silly they may seem. The provider is there not only to diagnose and treat your infections, but also to educate you about STDs and help prevent you from putting yourself or anyone else at risk in the future. Abstinence and safe sex practices will usually be discussed Health care providers expect to receive phone calls from patients, so if you have questions about what was discussed during the examination, do not hesitate to contact your health care provider.
Regular sexual health care check-ups are as important a part of maintaining your health and well-being as a blood pressure check or a cholesterol screen. If you are currently sexually active, or are thinking about becoming active, find a health care provider in your community with whom you feel comfortable discussing these issues. Your health is worth it.
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