Prevention and treatment.
At Neighborhood, we believe knowing how to prevent HIV and STDs and what to do if you get one is an important part of being sexually healthy.
Take PrEP if you’re at risk for HIV. Learn more here.
AIDSVu – Understanding HIV where you live…. HIV Testing, Data Maps
AIDSVuWhat is an STD?
A sexually transmitted disease comes from an infection that is passed between people when they have vaginal, oral, or anal sex. This sexually transmitted infection can then become a disease. That’s why you may hear STIs and STDs discussed together.
Sometimes STDs cause symptoms, like sores or bumps on your genitals, pain when you pee, unusual smells or discharges, or pain during sex. Other times, STDs don’t cause any symptoms. That’s why you should regularly get tested for STDs if you are having sex.
“If you receive a positive STD diagnosis, know that all are treatable with medicine and some are curable entirely,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national public health agency for the country.
Neighborhood Healthcare offers testing that is 100% confidential and safe, available at a low cost or for free.
What is HIV?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks the immune system. If untreated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Unlike other STDs, HIV has no cure, but it can be controlled with proper medical care. Many people with HIV live long, healthy lives by taking medication every day.
HIV is spread through body fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and breast milk — most commonly through vaginal or anal sex, and by sharing needles or syringes.
How can you prevent STDs and HIV?
The best way to avoid STDs and HIV is to not have any kind of sex. If you do have sex, you can take steps to lower the chance that you get infected.
- Use condoms correctly every time you have sex. Condoms help reduce the risk of HIV and many STDs, though some STDs (like herpes and HPV) can still be spread through skin contact.
- Get vaccinated against HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection in the country. The vaccine helps prevent genital warts and cancers caused by HPV. “Over 15 years of monitoring have shown that HPV vaccines are very safe and effective,” according to the CDC. “Like all vaccines, scientists continue to monitor HPV vaccines to ensure they are safe and effective.”
- Take PrEP if you’re at risk for HIV. Learn more here. PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a daily pill or injection that can lower your chance of getting HIV from sex or injection drug use by up to 99%.
- Get tested regularly. Whether or not you have symptoms, testing is the only way to know if you have an STD or HIV. Early detection leads to better treatment and helps prevent the spread to others.
What should you do if you have an STD or HIV?
If you are diagnosed with an STD, you should get treated right away.
“Getting an STD is not the end,” according to the CDC. “Many STDs are curable, and all are treatable. If either you or your partner is infected with an STD that can be cured, both of you need to start treatment immediately to avoid getting re-infected.”
If you don’t treat an STD, it can cause worse health problems, including pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, genital pain, pain during sex, and a higher chance of getting HIV.
If you test positive for HIV, start treatment as soon as possible. HIV is treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART), which helps people with HIV live long, healthy lives and reduces the risk of transmitting HIV to others. People who take ART as prescribed and maintain an undetectable viral load cannot sexually transmit HIV (this is known as U=U, or “undetectable = untransmittable”).
You should tell anyone you’ve had sex with about your STD or HIV diagnosis, so they can also get tested and treated.
Where can you get tested?
You can get tested and treated for STIs, STDs, HIV, and HPV at Neighborhood Healthcare, which offers in-person and video appointments, as well as free and low-cost options to eligible patients.
Schedule online at nhcare.org/schedule or call 833-867-4642.
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