There seems to be a stigma around STDs as if once you contract one, your life changes for the worst. However, statistically speaking, it’s all an illusion. It’s all a “big nothing,” you might say, considering that a huge part of the population, dating and married, have an STD or will have one in their lifetime.
According to a CDC report, 20% of the U.S. population, or one in five people, have an STD or STI on any given day. Over $16 billion is spent every year on healthcare-related STD costs.
On a worldwide basis, the problem is even more common. The World Health Organization says 374 million new STD infections every year. Almost 130 million will contract chlamydia, 82 million will contract gonorrhea (82 million), just over 7 million will contract syphilis, and 156 million will contract trichomoniasis (156 million).
Almost 500 million people already live with genital HSV (herpes), and 300 million women, including black women, have an HPV infection. STDs are not that unusual for many people in the U.S. and worldwide. Almost 300 million people have chronic hepatitis B
Do Condoms Prevent STDs?
Condoms effectively prevent STDs because genital-to-genital contact carries the highest risk of transmission. But transmission can also occur with oral or anal sex, so dental dams are also recommended to reduce the risk.
Even if you use a condom, there is still a chance of transmission if the condom breaks or if a couple uses the condom haphazardly and it falls off. You are not supposed to take it off at any time after arousal. The man is not supposed to get aroused, let the erection decrease, and get aroused again. This could result in just a little bit of semen making contact with vaginal fluid.
Can You Get an STD from Skin-to-Skin Contact?
There is some confusion about ways that STIs or STDs can be transmitted. The safe answer is that STDs are spread by exposure to an infected person’s genital fluids or direct contact with infected skin. That means you can get infected during certain lovemaking acts, even if there’s no genital-to-genital contact.
Oral and genital herpes can spread via contagious sores, regardless of where they appear on the body. This means you can even get oral herpes without sexual contacts, such as casual kissing on the cheek or lips.
HPV, or Human Papillomavirus, spreads through genital warts. However, getting vaccinated for HPV can help prevent infections from occurring. Syphilis can spread through mouth sores or genital sores, and so can Molluscum Contagiosum, a skin disease that can be transmitted during sex.
According to Very Well Health, casual contact with another person can occasionally lead to STD transmission, but rarely. The most common reason for an STD transmission is unprotected sex or clumsy sex with a condom that doesn’t cover the penis.
Also, keep in mind that a condom covering your genitals doesn’t mean you are fully protected. Skin-to-skin infections can happen when your partner is infected and touches your skin with their genital fluids.
In the case of cloth-to-skin transmission, like with a towel or passing from person to clothing and then to person, the cases are exceptionally rare for a positive accidental transmission. It’s just more common that you will catch an STD through sexual contact.
Using a Dating App for STD Dating
While there are dating apps/sites like Positive Singles and MPWH, there are also mainstream apps that offer STD filtering. Some interracial dating apps let you state your STD status and your preferred partner’s condition. This is a smart option since it avoids an awkward conversation later on.
New apps do need modern solutions to old dating problems. Today’s dating apps are all about giving you the customized dating experience you want, rather than sorting through all the guys/girls you DON’T want. That’s why everyone’s dating online in 2022, rather than relying on old dating strategies.
Know the Facts About STDs in Men
In the end, remember that a person’s STD health has nothing to do with their character or personality. People do get STDs by accident, sometimes, even if they are not promiscuous. Most infections can be cured or treated so that the condition is hardly noticeable.
Even in dangerous STDs like HIV, contracting the disease is not a death sentence. You can still have sex with a person using a condom. You can also live a full and healthy life by taking your health seriously (eating right and working out) and going to the doctor for treatment.
The truth is there is nothing so terrible about getting an STD. The only bad news is not getting tested regularly, not getting vaccinated, and not getting treatment for infections as soon as possible!
Read more: How-To Guide: HIV DATING SITE Essentials For Beginners
