Okay ladies, can we talk about STD/STIs, please?
I’m not here to show you warts, oozes, cuts or blisters, or tell you “abstinence only” and that you have to stay a virgin forever.
I would like to, however, remind you that STD/STIs won’t skip over you. They can seriously happen to anyone.
No matter with whom you’re having sex, USE PROTECTION.
Diseases won’t care how drunk you were, how pretty you are, your previous virginity status or level of education. It only takes one time of unprotected sex to get infected.
Many college students are sexually active regardless of the risks. If you’re one of those collegiettes, you need to be educated to stay safe. Let’s look at everything you can do to prevent your fun from becoming a horrible mistake.
1. PROTECT YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF
You’re in college. This doesn’t make you invincible. The best way to keep yourself from getting is to keep those nasty infections and viruses away from you in the first place. Condoms & dental dams can be found at any pharmacy or Walmart near you.
Great, now you know all the ways to keep infections away from your wet warm orifices they’d love to grow in. Yay for physical barriers! Now look at the differences between what I call “Horrible STDs” and “Not-As-Horrible STDs.”
“Horrible STDs:” If you get these, YOU WILL HAVE THEM FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
REPEAT: THESE CANNOT BE CURED. EVER.
Any viral STD is in you to stay.
-HIV/AIDs
-Herpes
-HPV(Human Papillomavirus [luckily you can get 3 Gardasil shots to prevent this])/genital warts
-Hepatitis A, B & C (C being the baddest of them all.)
“Not-as-Horrible STD/STIs:” THESE CAN BE CURED, BUT STILL REALLY SUCK TO HAVE.
Any bacterial STD/STI can be cured, though you need to get them treated ASAP. Some of these can have some pretty disturbing effects.
-Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)
-Chlamydia
-Gonorrhea
-Syphilis
-Trichomoniasis
-Scabies
-Chrancroid
-Crabs
Run down to the USM clinic or your local Planned Parenthood if you can’t remember your last test, or have had sexual partners since.
If you are sexually active, you have accepted the health risks associated with having sex. You don’t have to keep your pants on to be safe & you don’t have to take them off to have fun. Don’t confuse the two. Have fun, get educated, and BE SAFE!