Taylor, TX 76574
Phone:(512)352-9500
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am - 12:00pm
MAIN MENU
WE CAN HELP!
CHOICES
SERVICES
INFORMATION
HOPE HOUSE
HOW TO HELP
Frequently Asked Questions About STDs
Perhaps you are too afraid to contact us but you have some questions. We hope that the answers to some general questions listed below will help you.
- What is an STD?
A Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) is a virus, bacteria, or other small organism that can be transmitted through genital or sexual contact with someone who has the disease.
- How are STDs transmitted?
Below are some of the common ways STDs are transmitted.
-
Some STDs live on the skin around the penis, vagina or rectum. You can get an STD if your skin touches the other person's skin in these areas (even if you don't have sex).
-
Other STDs (like HIV and Hepatitis B) are spread by contact with infected blood and sexual secretions.
-
STDs are also transmitted just as readily through oral contact with secretions and contact with exposed skin surfaces.
-
- How do I know if I have an STD?
Below you will find that in some cases you may not even know while in other cases you will have symptoms.
-
Often times, STDs carry no symptoms so it is impossible to know unless you have medical testing.
-
Other times you may experience symptoms such as painful urination, abnormal discharge, painful sores, warts, fever, pain during intercourse and more.
-
These symptoms may go away on their own but the disease may still live in your body and be passed along to your partners even with no symptoms present.
-
- Can an STD be cured?
Some STDS can be cured; others cannot which means you will have them for life (i.e. Herpes and HIV). However, even STDs that are curable can have lasting effects on your body. Of the STDs that can be cured, the earlier you receive treatment, the less severe the damage to your body may be.
- Can I get an STD again?
Yes, having an STD once does not make you immune from getting it again.
- What happens if I don't get treated?
If untreated, STDs can manifest themselves in a variety of ways including chronic and acute pain, infertility, hair loss, rashes, blindness, arthritis, psychosis, and cancer. Without treatment you may be more susceptible to contracting additional STDs. Not getting treatment can increase the symptoms of incurable viral STDs.
- How do STDs affect pregnancy?
Some STDs can be passed to the baby or can cause miscarriage, tubal pregnancy, birth defects, blindness, or premature delivery.
- How can I avoid getting an STD?
The only way to protect yourself from STDs is sexual abstinence outside of a mutually monogamous faithful relationship such as marriage. No other form of protection can offer the guarantee that you will not contract an STD.