AIDS Epidemic May Be Subsiding: Report

 A new United Nations report suggests that the AIDS epidemic might be waning: The number of new HIV infections worldwide is at a record low, AIDS-related deaths are down 35 percent, and more people with HIV are getting the lifesaving medications they need.

International health officials even set a tentative date for the planned demise of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

"If we accelerate all HIV scale-up [increased efforts to fight the virus] by 2020, we will be on track to end the epidemic by 2030," Michel Sidibe, executive director of UNAIDS, said in an agency news release. "If not, we risk significantly increasing the time it would take -- adding a decade, if not more."

At the end of 2013, an estimated 35 million people worldwide were living with HIV, according to the UNAIDS report, which was released Wednesday.

However, the trend in recent years is promising. In the last three years, new HIV infections have dropped 13 percent, and the 2.1 million new HIV infections reported last year are the fewest since the turn of the century.

New HIV infections among children fell by 58 percent since 2001, and are below 200,000 for the first time in the 21 most affected countries in Africa.

The largest decline in new infections was in the Caribbean -- 40 percent since 2005, the researchers noted. But new infections did increase 8 percent in western Europe and North America, 7 percent in the Middle East and North Africa, and 5 percent in eastern Europe and central Asia since 2005.

The news on AIDS-related deaths worldwide was also heartening, with statistics showing a 35 percent decline after the number of deaths peaked in 2005. AIDS-related deaths did increase by 66 percent in the Middle East and North Africa. The only other regions where AIDS-related deaths are rising are eastern Europe and central Asia, where the death toll increased 5 percent between 2005 and 2013. Tuberculosis remains the leading cause of death among people with HIV.

Also, a growing number of people with HIV are receiving lifesaving antiretroviral drugs. In 2013, 2.3 million more patients gained access to the medications, boosting the total number to nearly 13 million by the end of 2013. As of now, that number could be as high as nearly 14 million, according to UNAIDS.

In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 90 percent of people who know they have HIV are receiving treatment, the findings showed.

Ending the HIV epidemic by 2030 would prevent 18 million new infections and 11.2 million AIDS-related deaths between 2013 and 2030, U.N. officials noted.

However, some experts questioned the wisdom of setting such a high goal.

"We've made progress, but the number of people getting infected is still extraordinarily high," Shabbar Jaffar, a professor of epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told theAssociated Press. Jaffar added that boosting efforts to fight the disease in Africa, where almost 70 percent of people with HIV live, would be hard because "they [health officials] are already working beyond capacity at the moment."

While there was good news in the report, it also noted that 19 million of the 35 million people worldwide who are infected with HIV do not know they have the virus.

"Whether you live or die should not depend on access to an HIV test," Sidibe said. "Smarter scale-up is needed to close the gap between people who know their HIV status and people who don't, people who can get services and people who can't, and people who are protected and people who are punished."

Read the article and find an STD testing center near you.

HIV Meds May Also Help Control Hepatitis C, Study Finds

 For patients infected with both HIV and hepatitis C, HIV antiretroviral therapy may help control both viruses, a small study suggests.

Researchers said doctors could use their findings to improve treatment strategies for people with the two diseases.

"The findings suggest that HIV suppression with antiretroviral medications plays an important role in the management of individuals with [hepatitis C] and HIV infection," said study leader Dr. Kenneth Sherman, a professor of medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. "It supports the concept that in those with HCV/HIV infection, early and uninterrupted HIV therapy is a critical part of preventing liver disease."

The researchers conducted the study to address concerns that treating patients who have HIV -- the AIDS-causing virus -- and hepatitis C with HIV antiretroviral therapy would damage the liver and cause more harm than good.

To put this theory to the test, they closely examined 17 patients infected with both viruses for two years. The patients received approved HIV antiretroviral drugs. They were also examined frequently, and their blood was routinely tested to track any changes in the viruses and their immune response.

The findings were published July 23 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

Some patients experienced an initial increase in a blood test that shows changes in liver injury, hepatitis C or both in the first 16 weeks of the study.

Over 18 months, however, the study revealed that "viral loads" for hepatitis C dropped back down to levels expected for a patient infected with only hepatitis C and not HIV.

"The drop in [hepatitis C] viral levels was a big surprise, and not what we necessarily expected," said Sherman in a university news release. "There is a complex interaction of biological effects when patients are infected with both HIV and the hepatitis C virus." He explained that initially HIV treatment results in a transient increase in hepatitis C viral replication and evidence of liver injury. However, over time, HIV suppression leads to reduced hepatitis C viral replication.

In the United States, up to 300,000 people are infected with both hepatitis C and HIV. Globally, that number increases to between 4 million and 8 million, the researchers said.

Drug makers Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead Sciences supplied the antiretroviral medications used in the study at no charge. One of the scientists involved in the research, Dr. Judith Feinberg, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Cincinnati, is a Bristol-Myers Squibb investigator and speaker.

Read the article and find an STD testing center near you.

Smartphone Device Detects HIV, Syphilis

A smartphone accessory that can detect HIV and syphilis has been developed by Columbia University researchers.

The low-cost device can spot markers of the infectious diseases from a finger prick of blood in 15 minutes. It's the first smartphone accessory that replicates all the functions of a laboratory-based blood test, according to the researchers.

The device was tested by health care workers in Rwanda who used it to analyze blood samples from 96 patients. The health care workers were given 30 minutes of training on the device, and 97 percent of the patients had a positive response to the device.

The findings were published Feb. 4 in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

"Our work shows that a full laboratory-quality immunoassay can be run on a smartphone accessory," team leader Samuel Sia, an associate professor of biomedical engineering at Columbia Engineering, said in a university news release.

"This kind of capability can transform how health care services are delivered around the world," Sia added.

However, one expert was more cautious about the possibilities of the device.

"This is a new technology that uses smartphones to detect antibodies against HIV and syphilis. Although an encouraging development, there are significant limitations, such as comparison with confirmatory tests in standardized laboratories," said Dr. Ambreen Khalil, an infectious disease specialist at Staten Island University Hospital, in Staten Island, N.Y.

Khalil noted that the device might work well in areas where it is hard to get adequate health care and medical resources are limited.

"It would be interesting to evaluate its performance in other settings as well," Khalil said.

The device -- called a dongle -- is small and light enough to fit into a hand, uses little power and will cost about $34 to make, according to the researchers.

"Our dongle presents new capabilities for a broad range of users, from health care providers to consumers," Sia said.

"By increasing detection of syphilis infections, we might be able to reduce deaths by 10-fold. And for large-scale screening, where the dongle's high sensitivity with few false negatives is critical, we might be able to scale up HIV testing at the community level with immediate antiretroviral therapy that could nearly stop HIV transmissions and approach elimination of this devastating disease," he added.

Read the article and find an STD testing center near you.

Most HIV Infections Come From Undiagnosed or Untreated People: Study

 If an American becomes infected with HIV, chances are he or she contracted the virus from someone who didn't know they were infected or wasn't getting proper treatment.

That's the message of a new U.S. study, which found that undiagnosed and untreated people with HIV may be responsible for more than nine out of 10 new infections.

The findings "highlight the community-wide prevention benefits of expanding HIV diagnosis and treatment in the United States," a team led by Dr. Jacek Skarbinski, of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wrote in the report.

Looking at 2009 data, Skarbinski's team said that about 45,000 new cases of HIV were transmitted that year, adding to the total of more than 1.1 million Americans who were already living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Using national databases, the investigators estimated that more than 18 percent of that total remained undiagnosed, while another 45 percent were aware of their status but were not getting medical care.

Only about one-quarter of HIV-infected Americans had managed to get their viral status under control by using the current standard of care known as antiretroviral therapy, the researchers found. These drugs can lower an HIV patient's viral load to undetectable levels.

The study findings are published in the Feb. 23 online edition in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

The findings raise concerns about efforts to contain the spread of HIV, given that untreated patients are more likely to infect others than those who are receiving therapy and have been able to suppress the virus in their system, the study authors explained in a journal news release.

Treated patients who have been able to suppress their virus are 94 percent less likely to transmit HIV than those with undiagnosed HIV, the researchers found.

So the vast majority of new infections in the United States -- nearly 92 percent -- likely occur after contact with people who don't know they carry HIV, or do not receive treatment, according to the CDC team.

In a commentary accompanying the report, Dr. Thomas Giordano, from the DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston, wrote that "the study demonstrates that the steps of the cascade that propel HIV transmission in the United States are delayed diagnosis and inadequate retention in care."

However, Giordano added, "what is surprising is the magnitude of the effect of those steps."

Read the article and find an STD testing center near you.

Herpes Drug Might Help Control Spread of HIV, Too

A widely used herpes drug also seems to help people with the HIV virus, even if those people don't also have herpes, a new small study found.

The researchers said their findings challenge the belief that drug Valtrex (valacyclovir) requires the presence of herpes to benefit people with HIV-1. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

The study included 18 HIV patients in Peru. When patients took Valtrex twice daily for two weeks, they had decreases in HIV-1 levels. Patients taking a placebo saw their HIV levels go up.

Experts thought that Valtrex worked against HIV by reducing inflammation caused by the herpes virus. This would give the HIV virus fewer active immune cells to attack, reducing the spread of the virus. But the drug doesn't depend on reducing inflammation to work against HIV, said study co-senior author Dr. Michael Lederman, a professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland.

This means that Valtrex can be used in a broader range of people with HIV-1, and also suggests promising new directions for creating new HIV drugs, the researchers said.

That's especially important because some forms of HIV-1 have become resistant to existing drugs.

"The drug might be an agent that can be used safely in some people with HIV infection who have a form of HIV that is highly resistant to other antiretroviral drugs," Lederman said in a university news release.

"Valacyclovir might well augment the cocktail of medications they take for reducing HIV replication. Valacyclovir is a well-tolerated drug, and it doesn't have a lot of side effects," he added.

The findings were published online in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Read the article and look for an STD testing center near you.

3 reasons seniors should have HIV and STD testing done

Whether you’re dating at 18 or 78, there’s one thing that should take place: STD testing. STDs and HIV has been on the rise among seniors in recent years; the CDC reports that rates of chlamydia and syphilis among ages 45 to 64 have nearly tripled in the last decade. Gonorrhea is also on the rise. Here are three reasons for STD testing among this population:

1. Lack of sex education. Many people 50 years or older never had a formal sex ed course in high school and may not think this topic is relevant. However, while pregnancy may not be a consequence of sex anymore, STDs and HIV remain prevalent, and many seniors are unaware of the basics of STD and HIV prevention. Condoms provide excellent protection against most STDs, not just pregnancy. These prophylactics may seem alien to many seniors who relied on oral contraceptives and other forms of birth control during years of marriage and without proper condom use, STDs spread.
2. Menopause. After menopause, women no longer need to worry about unwanted pregnancies, which may lead to a disregard of condoms as mentioned in the first point. Furthermore, menopause causes bodily changes that make women more susceptible to HIV and STDs. Thinning of the vaginal walls and vaginal dryness can cause small, microscopic cuts which allow as an entry point for HIV.
3. Viagra and Internet dating. It’s actually two reasons, but combined, these elements increase ability and opportunity for dating among seniors. Combined with the lack of sex ed and no threat of pregnancy, this puts the demographic at risk for STDs and HIV. Seniors shouldn’t be denied dating, sex and companionship (80% of those between 50 and 90 are sexually active), but as we advise the rest of the dating population, safe sex is the best sex.

Testing is fast and easy. Find an STD testing center near you or go online and check out the home test kits (scroll to the bottom). Test in the privacy of your home when it's convenient for you. Everything you need is in the kit including postage.

What is online STD testing?

Online STD testing is a fairly new concept. The actual STD testing process doesn’t take place online; STD testing is available for purchase online and then testing is performed at a lab near you or at home.

Online STD Testing vs. Traditional Testing

Ordering STD tests online from a service like getSTDtested.com offers more convenience and privacy compared to traditional testing routes, and it's quick and easy. A doctor’s office or free clinic require appointments and often long waits. Online STD testing allows you to order a test from your computer, test immediately without an appointment and receive your results in about 3 days. Many of these labs are open on Saturday, so you can test around your busy schedule.

Online STD Testing Options

Testing is available at over 4,000 labs in the continental United States and Alaska. When testing at a lab there is no need to answer intrusive questions about your sex life or undress for an examination. Certified phlebotomists will take a urine and/or blood sample which are then shipped to a processing facility. From their the results come to us, not back to the lab, and you receive them as a password-protected pdf as soon as they arrive 

At-home STD testing is available for chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and HIV. You can select STD tests online and have the kit mailed to your home or office. Everything, including postage, is provided. All you do is collect your sample and mail it to the lab for processing.

Online STD Testing is Confidential

Testing is confidential in most cases. STD testing is a personal matter, so your confidentiality is protected at all stages—from ordering to billing to treatment. Lab testing takes place at diagnostic laboratories that do more than STD testing (everything from cholesterol testing to diabetes screening), so no one will know the nature of your business execpt the phlebotomist who collects your specimen. And your personal information is never shared with insurance companies or third parties.

Testing is quick and easy. Find an STD testing center near you.

Survey says: friends with benefits use condoms more

According to one study, people in a “friends with benefits” relationship have safer sex. Those surveyed, primarily young adults in their mid-20s, use condoms during oral and vaginal sex more frequently than those in traditional relationships.

But don’t assume this makes friends-with-benefits sex safer, or riskier, than sex among those in committed relationships. Friends with benefits are much less likely to be monogamous (36% vs. 96%), have had more sex partners and didn’t use condoms during all encounters. Additionally, these survey participants were less sexually satisfied and had less communication about sex. 

Casual FWB relationships are common (there was even a recent movie with the same title); half of college students have engaged in this type of relationship. With the prevalence of these relationships, experts call for specific sex education surrounding these relationships.

So what can you do to keep a friends-with-benefits relationship healthy? Engage in open communication, continue using condoms, practicing safe sex and have regular STD testing performed.

Read the article and find an STD testing center near you.

Influential task force recommends routine HIV testing for all

The U.S. Preventative Task Force has recently recommended that physicians to administer a routine HIV test for everyone ages 15 to 65. The goal of this recommendation is to reduce the prevalence of HIV in the United States.

Among the nearly 1.2 million people infected with HIV, approximately 20 to 25 percent are unaware of their positive status. Most cases of HIV are asymptomatic making it difficult to diagnose but easy to spread. Routine HIV testing could potentially catch many of these undiagnosed cases and enable early HIV treatment to take place. Additionally, making a HIV testing a regular part of a check-up may reduce stigma around this important health practice.

Routine HIV testing would be similar like cholesterol testing—it’s just a normal part of a checkup!

What do you think about these new recommendations for routine HIV testing? Please share!

Read the complete article and find an STD testing center near you. 

What are early symptoms of HIV?

Let’s get right to the point: Early symptoms of HIV are difficult to diagnose. These signs are often vague and easily mistaken for other more common conditions, like the flu. Plus, some people never experience any discernible symptoms until the virus has seriously progressed several years later.

HIV is best treated and managed when diagnosed as soon as possible, but evaluating early symptoms of HIV is not a reliable way to diagnose this virus. The only way to diagnose this virus is through a routine HIV test.

When early HIV symptoms are present, symptoms may appear about 2 to 4 weeks after infection (but up to 3 months) and last a week or so before clearing up on their own. Signs of a recent HIV infection may include the following:

• Fever
• Headache
• Swollen glands
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches
• Sore throat
• Rash

This symptoms are very vague and can indicate a number of viral infections, such as mono, the flu or hepatitis C. If you are concerned about an HIV infection, HIV testing can provide answers and peace of mind.

Testing is quick and easy. Find an STD testing center near you.

STD FAQ: Does male STD testing require swabbing?

A large number of men fear STD testing for one reason: the dreaded swab. Sure, there’s nothing appealing about having a cotton swab insert into the penis, but there’s also nothing appealing about chlamydia. STD testing is a must for men, and fortunately, new technologies have made swabbing a thing of the past. (Hepatitis, herpes and HIV testing require a small blood sample.)

Painless urine-based STD tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea eliminate the need to swab. (Men should have a chlamydia test and gonorrhea test as part of their routine STD testing.) For men, getSTDtested.com only uses urine tests at their local labs (phew!). There’s no pain and no need to undress with this process. STD testing has never been easier!

However, many locations (especially low-cost clinics) still rely on swabbing as a test method. Do your research before testing, so there are no unpleasant surprises at the lab or doctor’s office. 

It's quick and easy. Find an STD testing center near you.

STD treatment: A quick overview

Regardless of the infection, STD treatment is most effective when the STD is diagnosed and treated early. Routine STD testing provides a diagnosis sooner rather than later, avoiding complications and minimizing the chance of unknowingly spreading the infection further. Here’s an overview of four major STDs and their treatment:

Chlamydia treatment: This common STD is cured with antibiotics, typically azithromycin (and some doctors are adding cefixime). It’s important to avoid sex until the antibiotics have had time to fully cycle through the body. Also, all partners who may have been exposed to the infection should have a chlamydia test and receive treatment. Prompt chlamydia treatment is crucial in avoiding long-term repercussions.

Gonorrhea treatment: Gonorrhea treatment is similar to chlamydia treatment, however this STD requires a different antibiotic regimen. While gonorrhea symptoms and chlamydia symptoms are nearly identical, STD testing is required to determine the correct treatment. Like chlamydia, prompt gonorrhea treatment is necessary to avoid complications.

HIV treatment: Unlike gonorrhea and chlamydia, HIV is not curable. However, when diagnosed early, HIV treatment can manage this virus and help prevent it from progressing to AIDS. HIV treatment requires a combination of antiretroviral therapy (known as HAART), administered under a doctor’s supervision. Today, advances in medicine have made HIV a chronic, manageable illness enabling those infected to live long, healthy lives.

Genital herpes treatment: This STD is not curable, but is not life threatening. More than anything, genital herpes is a nuisance. Genital herpes treatment can help keep symptoms at bay and make those infected less contagious. Antiviral medication, like acyclovir, can suppress herpes outbreaks when taken daily.

Find an STD testing center near you. Get Lab Tested can provide scripts (with positive test results) for chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes and trichomoniasis in some states. Give us a call at 877-317-3178 to find out if this service is available in your area.

5 facts about HIV testing

Routine HIV testing (and STD testing!) is recommended for all sexually active adults and teens (anyone between the ages of 13 and 64). Here are a few things to know about this important - and super easy - health practice:

1. A person with HIV can develop a detectable level of antibodies within a few weeks of infection, with an average of 25 days. 97% of those with HIV develop detectable antibodies within 3 months. If concerned about a particular exposure, HIV testing should take at 3 months and then at 6 months.
2. HIV testing can be performed at home. An FDA-approved test kit is available for the most private, discreet testing. This HIV test requires a small blood sample that is mailed to a lab upon completion.
3. The HIV ELISA test is considered the “gold standard” of HIV testing with an accuracy rate greater than 99.9%. If positive, this antibody test is confirmed with the Western Blot.
4. DNA and RNA tests are available for HIV testing. These tests look for the genital material from the virus, rather than antibodies. This method can detect the virus 10 days after an exposure, but confirmation from the HIV ELISA test is recommended at 3 months post-exposure.
5. Routine HIV testing is the best way to detect an infection. HIV symptoms are often nonexistent, so a test is the only way to diagnose the virus.

Remember - HIV is best managed when caught early (look for an STD testing center near you).

6 more common condom mistakes

Several months ago we published “6 Common Condom Mistakes.” We’re following up on that article with six more common condom mistakes. Condoms are a solid form of insurance (still, don't ignore STD testing as part of your safe sex rituals), but be sure to use them correctly, otherwise the benefits become null and void. Researchers at Indiana University found these additional rubber wrongdoings:

1. Early removal. A handful of survey respondents—13.6 to 44.7%—reported removing the condom before the deed was done, which defeats the whole goal.
2. Failure to check for damage. A handful of ladies and gentlemen said they didn’t check the condom for damage or a passed expiration date. We understand that lighting may be dim or you’re anxious to get the action started, but take two seconds to examine the wrapper for tears and imperfections when unrolling the condom.
3. Reusing the condom. 1.4 to 3.3% said they reused a condom during the same encounter. For real.
4. Poor storage. Storing condoms in wallets, extreme temperature or direct sunlight can weaken the latex. Your pocket is even a dangerous spot—sharp objects and body heat are potential hazards.
5. Incorrect withdrawal. Pull out when finished; don’t linger after ejaculation like 31% of men and 27% of women surveyed.
6. Opening package with a sharp object. This can cause the condom to get torn or punctured, rendering it useless. Be careful when opening!

Bonus mistake: Not wearing one at all! 

We mentioned this error in a previous blog post, but this mistake should be emphasized. Unprotected sex puts you at risk for STDs and HIV, as well as unintended pregnancies. Condoms are cheap, easy to use and offer lifesaving benefits—so, why not use one?! Just be sure to use it correctly! 

Find an STD testing facility near you.

Yale's New Card Game Empowers Young Women to Avoid HIV Risks

Yale School of Medicine's play2Prevent video game lab has developed a card game that helps young black women make the right choices when it comes to reducing the risk of HIV infection.

"One Night Stan" is a humorous, role-playing card game where players navigate the sometimes difficult world of dating. As the players learn more about potential sex partners,they are challenged to make responsible choices -- things like insisting on condom use, and saying no to sex in risky situations.

Kim Hieftje, deputy director of the play2Prevent lab, said these topics are often hard for people to discuss face-to-face. "So, if you make a game about these difficult topics to talk about, then the conversation kind of just opens," Hieftje said.

The game is designed for black women, ages 18 to 24, a group that doesn't engage in more risky behavior than other groups. But according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this demographic acquires HIV and sexually-transmitted infections at a higher rate than almost all other demographic groups.

The content and situations presented in the card game were developed with the help of focus groups consisting of young black women from New Haven and Bridgeport.

Play2Prevent is encouraged by a pilot study they conducted with 21 women who played "One Night Stan." "They saw themselves playing this not as an intervention, but as a fun card game, which is what we were trying to do," said Hieftje. "Out of the 21 women, eleven were sexually active, and five of them talked to their partners about getting tested for HIV and STIs, and four of them actually got tested."

Yale's play2Prevent lab plans to eventually distribute the game to community groups and in dorm rooms, and ultimately create a multi-player video game version of "One Night Stan" with more dateable characters and situations.

Read the article and find a testing location near you.

HIV tests don’t reach enough heterosexuals

While Reporter Misti Crane did a good job with a lot of information, some important facts were not covered. The article referred mainly to the gay community. Not all people getting and spreading the virus are gay.

The article said that “many of those at highest risk of contracting the virus are being missed.” The article mentioned that agencies use mobile apps, particularly in gay social media to reach that population. High-risk heterosexuals do not use gay social media.

Agencies need to go deeper into the inner city to reach more young black men between the ages of 13 and 24, as this is the group whose numbers are skyrocketing. In addition, the main vehicles of HIV transmission are having unprotected sex and sharing needles. With our area’s heroin epidemic, more needle sharing is occurring, as well as women prostituting themselves to buy heroin.

In addition to the locations mentioned, the Out of the Closet thrift store, 1230 N. High St., offers testing Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, 815 W. Broad St., is another testing location.

Finally, the article said that 13,506 people were tested and only 94 positives were found.

Even with that small number, Columbus and its adjacent counties now receive more federal dollars as an Emergency Transitional Grant Area as a result, for treatment and to fight the spread of the disease.

Here's the article and look for an STD testing center near you.

Suddenly symptomless

Is it possible to have an STI without any symptoms? Or do most people notice? Are there major differences between women and men?

— Anonymous, from Tumblr

Sarah: Yep, my friend Mackenzie over at the Health Department confirmed for me that most are totally symptom free. STI’s are smart like that, so don’t assume you’re clean because you don’t have symptoms (and you’re welcome for that peace of mind). In fact, partners can transfer infections to a whole mess o’ partners without knowing it until someone along the line has symptoms. The good thing is testing is quick and will only take a little time out of your day. And the treatments for the most common STIs are painless. There’s no reason not to know your status, so get tested regularly!

Debby: Yes, most STIs have no noticeable symptoms - especially for women, but true for men too (HPV and chlamydia, for example, rarely have noticeable symptoms for either sex. Learn more about STIs and cdc.gov and make it a priority to get tested for STIs regularly.

Read it here and then find a testing location near you.

Are Guys Really Getting Tested For STDS?

You’re really, really trying to be a sexually responsible person. You always use a condom, and you always ask potential new bed buddies if they’ve been tested for STDs recently. But when the answer always seems to be, “Why, yes, I just got tested,” you start to wonder: Is it just a coincidence, or is he a liar whose pants are on fire (maybe due to gonorrhea)?

Read the article and find a testing location near you.

Signs and Symptoms of Common STDs in Men

Many men are quick to assume that if they had a sexually transmitted disease (STD), they would know it. While most STDs do cause symptoms, many are easily mistaken for other conditions. In some cases there are no symptoms at all. Understanding the risks and knowing the signs and symptoms of common STDs in men is crucial for any man who is sexually active.

Many people can be infected with an STD without experiencing any visible symptoms. This means that practicing safe sex is crucial if you want to prevent STD infection.

The only way to completely prevent an STD is abstinence from any type of sexual contact or contact with open sores and bodily fluids of an infected person. But there are other ways to prevent STDs too. Condoms during intercourse and dental dams or barriers during oral sex are proven effective when used correctly. Refraining from sex with multiple partners and instead opting for a monogamous sexual relationship can also help to prevent STDs.

Read the article and learn more about STD testing near you.

STD Quiz: Test Your Sexual Health IQ

Take the quiz and find a testing center near you.