STI Awareness Month
Published: 04-25-2023 | 1 MIN READ | Author: Prism Health North Texas
April is STI Awareness Month. Sexually Transmitted Infections are common, the CDC “estimates 1 in 5 people in the U.S. have a sexually transmitted infection.” *
The 3 most common STIs in the United States are:
- HPV (human papillomavirus)
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
If you or your sexual partners have multiple partners, you are at risk of being infected with an STI.
Talk. Test. Treat.
Talk. Test. Treat. is an STI awareness campaign by the CDC that encourages people to have an open dialogue with their sexual partners about their sexual history. It also asks individuals to talk with doctors about their sexual history and how they feel (to spot symptoms).
It asks that people get tested for STIs regularly and seek treatment quickly when an STI is diagnosed.
STI Vaccines
There are a few STIs that you can be immunized from with a vaccine:
- HPV
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
STI Treatment
Although there are only three STIs that can be prevented with a vaccine, most other STIs can be treated and cured with treatment. Although it is still treatable for most people, increasing gonorrhea infections have become a concern as it is becoming harder to treat in some people. Other STIs that are becoming increasingly drug-resistant are chlamydia and syphilis.
HIV
HIV does not currently have a vaccine or cure, however, a person living with HIV can live a full and healthy life by suppressing their viral load with treatment. A person’s HIV viral load can be suppressed so they will not infect sexual partners (U=U).
Talking with your partner(s), having safe sex with condoms, and getting tested regularly will help doctors to spot and treat STIs quickly and keep the infection from spreading to others.
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