Testing is Essential. Let STD Test Compare Help.
Our mission at STD Test Compare is to bring awareness to the importance of regular testing from a quality resource. Our goal is to ensure everyone has access to testing to take charge of their sexual health. We know that not every test is created equal, and ensuring you take the right test will also provide you with more accurate results.
By getting tested, you are helping prevent the spread of STDs to others as well as being proactive about your own overall wellness. Early diagnosis of STDs can help ensure treatments are more effective as well as prevent more serious, life-altering complications down the road. Many STDs won’t present any symptoms, sometimes even for several years, so if you are sexually active, getting tested is essential.
Facts and Figures
Facts and Figures
- In 2018, CDC estimates 20% of Americans (1 in 5 people) have a sexually transmitted infection, totaling nearly 68 million infections
- 26 million new STD infections were diagnosed in 2018
- Almost of these new infections were among those age 15 – 24 years old in the U.S.
- Chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, and HPV accounted for 98% of all prevalent STIs and 93% of new STIs in 2018.
- In 2018, the CDC estimated the number of existing and new infections of the following STDs:
- HPV | 42.5 million existing infections, 13 million new infections
- Trichomoniasis | 2.6 million existing infections, 6.9 million new infections
- Chlamydia | 2.4 million existing infections, 4 millions new infections
- HIV (age 13 and over) | 984,000 existing infections, 32,600 new infections
- Gonorrhea | 209,000 existing infections, 1.6 million new infections
- Syphilis (age 14 and over) | 156,000 existing infections, 146,000 new infections
- STIs cost the U.S roughly $16 billion in direct medical costs
- Those age 15 – 24 accounted for 26% of these total costs
- Women accounted for 25% of these total costs
- In 2018, direct medical costs by infection were:
- Trichomoniasis = $144 million
- Syphilis = $174 million
- Gonorrhea = $271 million
- Chlamydia = $691 million
- HPV = $775 million
- HIV = $13.7 billion
- HBV = $46 million
- HSV-2 = $91 million
All information above is from https://www.cdc.gov/std/statistics/prevalence-2020-at-a-glance.htm
STD Myths and Misconceptions
Only promiscuous people or specific demographic groups get STDs.
STDs don’t discriminate - anyone can get them. Condoms are the only form of birth control that can reduce the risk of contracting an STD, but knowing the status of yourself and your partner can ensure an extra level of protection.
Condoms will fully protect you from getting an STD.
Condoms are definitely recommended and can lower your risk of contracting an STD, but they are not 100% reliable. They won’t always cover infected areas and can possibly rip or break, exposing you to potential STD infection.
When someone has an STD, there will be noticeable symptoms.
Many STDs come without any symptoms, often for several years. The only way to know for sure whether someone has an STD is to be tested.
Having oral or anal sex can prevent STDs.
Any kind of sexual contact can put you at risk of an STD. The virus or bacteria simply needs a way to enter the body, and tiny cuts or tears in the mouth or anus present an ideal enteryway. For some, like herpes or genital warts, all that needs to occur is skin-to-skin contact with an infected area or sore. Condoms and dental dams should be used during any sexual activity.
Once you’ve had an STD, you can’t catch it again.
Unfortunately, some STDs can be contracted multiple times. Essentially any of those that can be cured with antibiotics, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, can be caught again. If you have an STD like herpes or HIV, those infections are in your body for the rest of your life.
If your STD tests are negative, your partner doesn’t need to be tested.
Even if you are free of STDs, your partner could be infected and not know it, so testing for everyone is important.
If you have an STD, it will go away on its own over time.
STDs aren’t like a simple cold or virus. Unfortunately, most of them will not go away on their own. If left untreated, you are subject to long-term effects and health risks that can be much more devastating than the initial STD infection.
Be Aware and Take Control of Your Sexual Health Status
Getting tested and knowing the status of your sexual health helps keep you and current or future partners safe. Feel confident about discussing sexual health and being open with your partners because it is empowering to understand you have control over that aspect of your health and it shows others that you truly care for their wellbeing.
There are various ways to seek out help, from testing to treatment. Talk with your healthcare provider about your concerns and he or she can order testing from a lab for you, or you can explore other options, such as ordering your own at-home STD test kit or visiting a public testing center. For treatments, you will need to get in touch with a physician or, in some instances, you may be able to get medication and guidance from your at-home testing company or the public testing location.