At work, I got involved in a 30-minute lunch break discussion at the employees' lounge. The topic is about how one can protect herself/ himself from any possible STD's (Sexually Transmitted Disease) if you are seriously involved with someone you love. Ok, here is how it started... Luis, our maintenance personnel shared his supposedly "love story" with us. He met his girlfriend at a birthday party 6 months ago. Obviously, after few weeks of "getting to know" stage, they upgraded the relationship to the "getting familiar" stage. In the beginning, they were practicing safe sex by using "raincoats" (lol). Eventually, when so much familiarity and trust has been established, they care less about using protection. Why? Everyone knows that the ultimate pleasure in sex is highly achievable with “bare skin”. So much so, some believe that absolute belongingness can be proven with total fusion without any presence of barrier. Some, may just simply say, it meant nothing but ignorance. Wait, that wasn't really the climax of the story. Now, here is why the topic got too steamy. Aside from working at our facility, Luis also owns a plumbing business. There were times when he couldn't get to see his girlfriend for weeks which sometimes become an issue between them. Luis got upset when his girlfriend, who is a nurse, asked him for "clearance". He said, "I am not taking any friggin' needle-stick for some embarrassing tests just to satisfy her damn curiosity." He also began questioning her loyalty and trust. After our few exchanges of views, he surprisingly agreed to take the test. As a matter of fact, he said they might take the STD test together. Are you wondering what I told him?
There is only one thing you need to avoid STD……common sense. I remember once my Physics teacher in college told our class, “Commons sense is a sense that is not common.” For instance, there are only 2 ways of which one can avoid getting STD’s. The first one is called “fasting” (no sex at all). Ok I can hear a lot of complaints already (“Oh, hell no, that can’t be possible!” Well, the other way is practice safe sex. Common sense, isn’t it? Now, does asking your partner to take an STD clearance tests can be really offensive? Of course, it can be but I don’t disagree with it. It’s not a breach of trust or question of love. It’s a practical method and acceptance that human is susceptible to human error. How are you going to protect yourself? However, the way to get your partner to agree with you with the clearance tests must be taken in consideration as well. It can be effective if instead of asking him or her to get one, you explain the benefits of knowing what you have or don’t have by simple tests and the risks as well of not knowing them at all. It will also be just fair to get both of you, sex participants, tested instead of pushing your partner to get tested while convincing you don’t need one.
Most STD’s are irreversible such as AIDS, Syphilis, Drug-resistant Gonorrhea and Herpes. Combined Antibiotics may keep some of them on dormant stages but won’t be able to remove or clear them completely and may also get chances of recurrence. Some anti/retrovirals can only suppress the risk of transmission or slow down the progression of the disease but again won’t be able to cure it. So be defensive, it won’t matter if you will sound offensive, as long as you stay healthy and safe.
There is only one thing you need to avoid STD……common sense. I remember once my Physics teacher in college told our class, “Commons sense is a sense that is not common.” For instance, there are only 2 ways of which one can avoid getting STD’s. The first one is called “fasting” (no sex at all). Ok I can hear a lot of complaints already (“Oh, hell no, that can’t be possible!” Well, the other way is practice safe sex. Common sense, isn’t it? Now, does asking your partner to take an STD clearance tests can be really offensive? Of course, it can be but I don’t disagree with it. It’s not a breach of trust or question of love. It’s a practical method and acceptance that human is susceptible to human error. How are you going to protect yourself? However, the way to get your partner to agree with you with the clearance tests must be taken in consideration as well. It can be effective if instead of asking him or her to get one, you explain the benefits of knowing what you have or don’t have by simple tests and the risks as well of not knowing them at all. It will also be just fair to get both of you, sex participants, tested instead of pushing your partner to get tested while convincing you don’t need one.
Most STD’s are irreversible such as AIDS, Syphilis, Drug-resistant Gonorrhea and Herpes. Combined Antibiotics may keep some of them on dormant stages but won’t be able to remove or clear them completely and may also get chances of recurrence. Some anti/retrovirals can only suppress the risk of transmission or slow down the progression of the disease but again won’t be able to cure it. So be defensive, it won’t matter if you will sound offensive, as long as you stay healthy and safe.
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