About STI Awareness Week
STI Awareness Week, observed the second full week in April, provides an opportunity to raise awareness about STIs and how they impact our lives; reduce STI-related stigma, fear, and discrimination; and ensure people have the tools and knowledge for prevention, testing, and treatment.
CDC estimates that about 20 percent of the U.S. population – approximately one in five people in the U.S. – had an STI on any given day in 2018, and STIs acquired that year cost the American health care system nearly $16 billion in health care costs alone.
Resources
Are you ready to talk to your doctor about your sexual health? Planning to get tested for STIs? These resources can help anyone who is having sex (or thinking about having sex) choose a doctor, find a testing location, and prepare for your visit. There is also information on what to expect after getting tested.
If you are sexually active, or thinking of becoming sexually active, it is important that you Talk. Test. Treat. to protect your health. These three small actions can have a big impact on your sexual health!
TALK
Talk with your partner(s) BEFORE having sex. Not sure how? We have tips to help you start the conversation. Make sure your discussion covers several important ways to make sex safer:
- Talk about when you were last tested and suggest getting tested together.
- If you have an STI (like herpes or HIV), tell your partner.
- Agree to only have sex with each other.
- Use condoms the right way for every act of vaginal, anal, and oral sex throughout the entire sex act (from start to finish).
Talk with your healthcare provider about your sex life as it relates to your health. This helps your healthcare provider understand what STI tests you should be getting and how often.
Here are a few questions you should expect and be prepared to answer honestly:
- Have you been sexually active in the last year?
- Do you have sex with men, women, or both?
- In the past 12 months, how many sexual partners have you had?
- Do you have anal, oral, or vaginal sex?
- What are you doing to protect yourself from infection?
TEST
Many STIs don’t cause any symptoms, so you could have one and not know. If you’re having sex, getting tested is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health.
Find out what STI care options are available near you. In addition to traditional, in-person visits, other options that may be available include:
- Video or phone appointments with your healthcare provider.
- Express visits allow walk-in STI testing and treatment appointments without a full clinical exam.
- Pharmacies and retail clinics, such as at a grocery store or big-box store, for on-site testing and treatment.
- At-home collection where you collect your own sample and take or mail it to a lab for testing.
TREAT
Some STIs can be cured with the right medicine, and all STIs are treatable. Make sure your treatment works by doing these things:
- Take all of the medication your healthcare provider prescribes, even if you start feeling better or your symptoms go away.
- Don’t share your medicine with anyone.
- Avoid having sex again until you and your sex partner(s) have all completed treatment.
https://www.cdc.gov/std/saw/talktesttreat/individuals.htm
Resources
Which STI Tests Should I Get? A brief overview of STI testing recommendations.
GetTested – A national STI, HIV, and hepatitis testing locator to find nearby free or low-cost testing.
How do I prepare for a visit to my healthcare provider? – Some tips on what to expect from your visit and how to bring up sexual health with your doctor.
How to Talk to a Doctor about STI Testing – Tips on how to discuss your sexual health with your doctor.
Just Diagnosed? – A fact sheet providing the three steps a person can take if they were recently diagnosed with gonorrhea or chlamydia, including resources to help them talk to their partner.
Take Charge of Your Sexual Health – A guide for individuals focusing on the clinical services that can help protect and improve sexual health. It explains recommended tests (aka screenings) and vaccines and helps patients find and talk with a healthcare provider.
https://www.cdc.gov/std/saw/resources.htm#webimprove