Feeling Shame? Here’s How to Cope with STD – You may have heard of this before, “Having an STD is not the end of the world.” It may be infuriating to hear this every time, but it’s true; having an STD or a sexually transmitted disease isn’t the end of everything. If you have been diagnosed with an STD, you’ll be part of the majority of Americans who are sexually active. People aged 25 and above get diagnosed with STDs at least once a year.
But then again, this can be a very bad thing for some people, especially those in a relationship or probably merely because of the stigma around STDs. Luckily, there are plenty of resources and ways to cope with an STD. Here are some of them. After reading how to cope with STD next read, How Much Saliva Is Needed To Transmit STD?
Implement Self-Care
Having an STD can throw you off the loop. Some people can even get depressed and have anxiety attacks if diagnosed with an STD. They think they were dealt a bad blow. If you’re one of these people, it’s pretty easy to spiral into bad habits and self-hate. In this situation, it’s very important to implement a self-care routine, so you don’t ruin your mental and physical health further. Some self-care practices you can do are the following:
- Going for a run
- Eating a balanced meal
- Taking your meds
- Feel nature more closely
- Interact with your loved ones
It’s usually best to incorporate your self-care tips into your daily routine to feel more of their effects on your body and mind. And if you have free time, it’s also best to have a hobby that you should get into. Doing your hobbies is also a form of self-care.
Remember that You’re Not Alone
As mentioned earlier, by having an STD, you’re a part of the majority of Americans who are sexually active. Millions of people every year get an STD like gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, etc. You wouldn’t probably know it personally, though, since people don’t talk about it openly, like having the flu. But we understand, given the stigma around STDs, it’s hard to talk about it with friends and family. But again, if it comforts you, millions of people get diagnosed with at least one type of STD once a year. While reading “How to Cope with STD”, it’s crucial to read Can You Get An STD From Pubic Hair Shaving?
Talk About It With Your Partner
We know we just talked about how hard it is to share with people, but if you have a partner you regularly have sex with, they need to know about your condition. They might be at risk of getting or may already have a sexually transmitted infection STI from you. If you’re wondering the difference between STIs and STDs, STDs come from STIs.
However, not all STIs become STDs, especially if treated before it becomes one. If you think you have passed on an STI to your partner, you might want to go to the doctor immediately so it doesn’t become an STD shortly. The last thing you want is your partner to have the same condition.
Practice Safe Sex
If you can’t hold in your urges, you might want to learn more about practicing safe sex. Both you and your partner should do the same. That said, there are several ways for both of you to practice safe sex. The CDC recommends methods for people to practice safe sex.
Condoms: Using a condom is like using a barrier externally for you or your partner. Right now, it’s one of the most effective, and there are a lot of studies and data to back it up. However, there’s very limited information about the efficacy of internal condoms, so it’s still better to use an external one nowadays.
Cervical Diaphragms: While it is widely used today, only a few studies talk about the uses of cervical diaphragms in safe sex. That said, experts recommend that if you want to practice safe sex with this thing, you shouldn’t only rely on it and use other forms of protection.
Topical Applications: Spermicides and microbicides may offer some protection, but just like the previous one, you should pair them with external condoms.
Know that Most STDs Can be Cured or Effectively Managed
Bacterial STIs like chlamydia and syphilis can easily be treated with medicine. Parasitic STIs like scabies are also easily treated. One thing to note in particular, though, is chlamydia. If left untreated, it could become worse. Luckily, medicines that can treat chlamydia are not very expensive; in fact, you can lower their price in many ways. You can Save More on Doxycycline Hyclate with BuzzRx.
Viral STIs, on the other hand, like herpes, HIV, and HPV can’t be cured with today’s medicinal technology. However, they can be easily managed with the help of your doctor, friends, and family. If you have viral STIs, you should look more into them so you don’t also affect the people around you.
Final Words
STDs are a pretty common thing for a lot of sexually active people. And while viral STIs are pretty rare, the number of people catching them is on the rise, so it’s still a wise decision to always protect yourself. If you want to live more normally with STIs or STDs, you can follow the tips we discussed above.
The image featured in this article is sourced from Pexels
