There are many different types of STDs, and they all differ from each other. Some STDs, like bacterial STDs, are curable, while viral STDs can’t be cured.

Our AFC Urgent Care Monroe Road team provides further information about the different types of STDs and how you can prevent them below, so keep reading.

What Are STDs?

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), also known as sexually transmitted infections or STIs, are very common. Millions of new infections occur every year in the United States, and one in five people currently have an STD, according to the CDC.

STDs are typically transmitted by having unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has an infection, but they may also be transmitted through sharing needles and breastfeeding. We’ve listed the most common types of STDs below.

Common STDs

• Chlamydia
• Herpes
• Gonorrhea
• Hepatitis B
• Syphilis
• HIV/AIDS
• Trichomoniasis

How Can I Know If I Have an STD?

The best way to know if you have an STD is by getting an STD test, which you can do at our AFC center. If you are sexually active, the CDC recommends getting STD tested at least once a year. If you have more than one partner, share intravenous (IV) needles, or don’t always practice safer sex by using a condom each time you have intercourse, you should be tested every three to six months.

Additionally, STDs don’t typically show up right after you get one. It can take three months for HIV to show up on a test, but it only takes a matter of days to a few weeks for STDs like gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis to show up. To prevent getting an STD, try the tips that we’ve listed below.

Effective Ways to Prevent STDs

• Practice abstinence. The surest way to avoid getting STDs is to not have sex.
• Use condoms. Condoms lessen the risk of infection for all STDs, but you can still get certain STDs, like herpes or HPV, from contact with your partner’s skin even when using one.
• Have fewer partners. First, make sure you know that neither of you has an STD, then have sex with one person who is only having sex with you. This will dramatically lower your STD risk.

Have additional questions about STDs or need to be tested? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our AFC Urgent Care Monroe Road team today.