If you have just found that you have an STI, then you may be feeling a range of emotions. Often, STIs such as chlamydia present very few – if any symptoms, and in cases where symptoms do occur, they are often mistaken for urine infections. So if you have taken the step to be tested, then congratulations, because it’s a vital step in safeguarding your sexual health. Once you have been tested, then you can be treated appropriately and take care of your sexual health with better knowledge and prevention in the future.
Get help
But one thing still remains – you need to tell anyone that you have had unprotected sex with about your test result. If you don’t do this, then they could unknowingly be carrying the same STI and pass it on to others.
In the same way that you need to have the chance to have the treatment needed to protect your health, anyone else with the infection needs this same chance to receive testing and treatment. It’s only fair! Set embarrassment aside, and just be upfront and honest with your partner.
If you are feeling really embarrassed, then the good news is that you can enlist the help of your STI check provider when you arrange an STI test London wide. Find out more at https://www.checkurself.org.uk/plus.
If you provide details of the contact number for your partner or partners, the organisation will confidentially contact them to invite them for testing and inform them that they may be at risk. Your details will remain confidential and this approach ensures that everyone’s health is respected and that the risk of the STI spreading further is minimised.
Stay informed
Remember, education and information is key when it comes to treating STIs and preventing them from spreading. Many are extremely common and very easy to treat with antibiotics, so it’s vital to take the right approach. And remember, when you are having sex in the future with a new partner, make sure you use a condom. A condom is the only real way to protect yourself against an STI if you have not both had a full STI screening before having sex together.
What will you do next time you have sex with a new partner? We can’t say it enough. Use a condom!