Why is STD Treatment important?
There are some serious consequences of untreated STDs that can include infertility, ectopic pregnancy, and an increased risk of HIV transmission and acquisition. A diagnosis of an STD may also cause a person to experience hiccups in their relationships as well as stress and anxiety about their sexual health lives. STDs are silent killers that remain asymptomatic for years but later create havoc in the lives of patients.
How are STDs treated?
Bacterial STDs or STIs are typically easier to treat. Infections caused by viruses can sometimes be treated, but not always.
Receiving treatment for your STI as soon as you find out you’re pregnant can help you avoid or lower the risk of infecting your unborn child.
Depending on the infection, treatment for STIs typically includes one of the following:
Antibiotics
Many sexually transmitted bacterial and parasitic infections, such as gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis, can be cured with antibiotics, frequently in a single dose. Gonorrhea and chlamydia are typically treated concurrently because the two infections frequently co-occur.
You must finish the antibiotic prescription once you begin treatment with them. Inform your doctor if you don’t think you’ll be able to take the medication as directed. There might be a quicker, easier treatment plan available. Additionally, you should delay having sex for seven days after finishing your antibiotic course and until any sores have healed. Additionally, experts advise that women undergo another test in about three months due to the high likelihood of reinfection.
Antiviral medicines
Antiviral medication will be prescribed if you have HIV or herpes. If you combine daily suppressive therapy with prescription antiviral medication, you’ll experience fewer herpes recurrences. It is still possible to spread herpes to your partner, though. Antiviral medications can prevent HIV infection for a long time. The risk is reduced, but you will still have the virus and be able to spread it.
The effectiveness of HIV treatment increases with time. It is possible to lower the viral load in the blood to the point where it is hardly detectable if you take your medications exactly as prescribed. Ask your doctor how soon after STD treatment you should be retested if you’ve had a STI. Retesting will confirm that the medication was effective and that you haven’t contracted the infection again.
Who should consider STD testing/Treatment?
- Everyone from 13 to 64 years old
- Hepatitis C is very common in people born between 1945 and 1965
- Pregnant women
- Women who are older than 21
- Women who are sexually active and under 25
- Men who have sex with men those who have HIV
- People who recently got a new sexual partner
How to cope with the STD treatment process?
Finding out you have an STD or STI can be traumatic. If you feel betrayed or that you may have infected others, you may feel angry or ashamed. Even with the best available care, an STI has the potential to result in chronic illness and even death
Try these suggestions to stay calm and steer clear of stress: Avoid the blame game: Don’t automatically assume your partner is lying to you. It’s possible that one (or both of you) were infected by a former partner.
Be sincere with healthcare professionals. They are there to treat you and prevent the spread of STIs, not to judge you. Anything you say to them is kept private.
Contact your health department. Although they may not have the staff and funds to offer every service, local health departments have STI programs that provide confidential testing, treatment, and partner services.
