The Three Ts of Sexual Health: Talk, Test & Treat
April is STD Awareness Month. It’s a great opportunity to raise awareness about sexually transmitted diseases and help assure that the knowledge and tools to prevent, test, and treat STDs are available to everyone who needs them.
STDs have been on the rise throughout the country during the past few years. Recent studies show that about 20 percent of Americans — that’s one person out of every five — have a sexually transmitted disease. Although that number may sound scary, it’s important to remember that all STDs, including HIV, are treatable, and most are curable. The sooner you get tested, the sooner you can get treated.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages patients and healthcare providers alike to follow the Three Ts: talk, test, and treat. These three simple things can make a huge difference in improving your sexual health and well-being.
Talk openly and honestly with your partner(s) and your healthcare provider about sexual health and STDs. Knowing your sexual history will help your provider to know what tests you need and how best to treat you, and it will help you and your partner(s) to understand and manage any potential sexual health issues, including STDs.
If you think you might have been exposed to an STD, get tested. Testing is the only way to know for sure if you have an STD. And don’t forget to get retested after a few months to make sure the STD is cured.
If you or your partner has an STD, you both need to start treatment immediately to avoid getting reinfected. Getting treated right away also can help avoid health problems down the road.
As with so many things, when it comes to STDs, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. For example, human papillomavirus (HPV) is currently the most common STD. Fortunately, there is a highly effective HPV vaccine that we recommend as part of the regular pediatric vaccine schedule. Catch-up vaccines are also available for adults—just ask your healthcare provider.
Birth control methods other than condoms will help prevent pregnancy, but they will not prevent STDs. Consistently using latex condoms, and using them correctly, will greatly reduce the possibility of getting an STD.
At Mendocino Coast Clinics, our goal is to keep you healthy, safe, and informed. For those 25 years old and younger, Blue Door@MCC provides free, non-judgmental, confidential information and sexual and reproductive healthcare, including STD testing and treatment, as well as free condoms. We have recently expanded this service, along with mental health counseling, to the JD Center next to Fort Bragg High School at 208 Dana Street. We are there on Wednesday afternoons, starting at 1:00 pm.
This month and beyond, let’s talk about sex in a way that empowers youth and reduces the stigma around STDs and sexual health in general. Our goal is to ensure people in our community have the tools and knowledge to prevent, test for, and treat STDs.
Stacy Pollina-Millen is the Reproductive Health Program manager at Mendocino Coast Clinics, a non-profit, federally qualified health center serving as a patientcentered medical home for people on the Mendocino
Coast. MCC provides a team-based approach to care, offering medical, dental, behavioral health services, and more. Learn more at mendocinocoastclinics. org.