Why Get an STD Test? He Says He Doesn’t Have Anything…

stds

Aug 5

“You told me you were clean!” Sarah was livid at her boyfriend. She yelled into the phone as she stomped out of the clinic to her car. Her STD test had come back positive. Slamming the door, she slumped into her seat and started crying. The car was hot, but that didn’t even cross her mind as the thoughts swirled around. How could he have lied to me? Is he cheating on me? Will people be able to tell? How do I even get rid of this? Things like this don’t happen to girls like me!

Sarah had only had one boyfriend. She had never cheated on him. She was on birth control and they even used condoms to be extra safe. What she didn’t know was that her boyfriend had picked something up from the girl he dated before Sarah. He didn’t even know he had an STD. Now Sarah is having to deal with this difficult situation.

Why Get Tested?

If you are sexually active you are at risk for STDs. Some sexual activity carries greater risk, but all vaginal, anal, and oral sex can spread infections. Most people, like Sarah’s boyfriend, don't even have symptoms and may not know they are passing it on to their partners. If you think you may have something, get tested right away. Why the urgency?

Having one STD puts you at risk for getting others--like HIV or HPV and being treated makes it less likely that you will pass an infection to your partner. Click here to read more about STDs.

Some common symptoms of an STD:

Sores or bumps on the genitals or in the oral or rectal area
Painful or burning urination
Unusual or odd-smelling vaginal discharge
Unusual vaginal bleeding
Pain during sex
Sore, swollen lymph nodes, particularly in the groin but sometimes more widespread
Lower abdominal pain
Fever
Rash over the trunk, hands or feet