Contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) can be a frightening experience that may have significant health and personal consequences. This brief blog post will offer tips regarding the specific actions those diagnosed with said illnesses should execute in the immediate aftermath, how to emotionally cope with this startling news, as well as how to best go about informing the individual in question’s sexual partner.
Of course, before you even get to execute the following steps you need to heed your body’s responses. If your body feels off or if you have physical symptoms you should go get checked. It’s as simple as using your search engine and entering “std testing near me” to find a clinic nearby.
Address The Specific Illness
After becoming intimate with a new partner you need to get tested. Next, if you are diagnosed with an STD one should address the associated health issues.
Said individuals are encouraged to undergo a thorough medical evaluation, obtain the needed information regarding the specific malady, understand what if any life changes will be required as a result of diagnosis and begin a therapeutic regiment comprised of medications or any other remedial protocol designed to cure or ameliorate associated symptoms.
Attempt To Identify The Source
Should the diagnosed individual have only one sexual partner, identifying the person they contracted the offending illness from is obvious. However, when someone has engaged in intercourse with multiple partners, pinpointing an STD’s origin might be more difficult.
That said, performing such a task is the responsible action to take. In certain instances, asymptomatic carriers of various STD’s might not realize they have the illness and could infect other sex partners. Therefore, to control the potential spread of the illness, it is imperative to identify where one contracted said sickness from.
Coping Emotionally
Being diagnosed with an STD can also have a significant mental and emotional impact on you. Many people feel ashamed, embarrassed and yearn to keep their diagnosis as quiet as possible. The obvious fear is of being unfairly labelled or becoming a societal outcast.
It is important to realize that even the most responsible people could contract an STD and the associated emotions they experience are a normal part of the acceptance process.
In certain instances, an STD diagnosis could precipitate the onset of anxiety and depression. For such individuals, consultation with professional counsellors might be indicated. Said professionals have extensive experience counselling individuals in these situations and can offer solid and productive advice on how to adjust with these trying circumstances.
Informing Sexual Partners
Being honest with a sexual partner could be the most challenging part of this entire process. Revealing such a painful secret could have serious ramifications on a relationship. On many occasions, the infected person’s partner will express a wide range of negative emotions like frustration and anger.
These feelings are understandable. Especially given that said admission might be a confession of infidelity or at the very least a painful conversation in which they are informed that they may be ill and that their lives could be altered as a result.
The truth is there is no simple way of initiating such a discussion. Healthcare and counselling professionals suggest that the infected person be direct and honest about the circumstances.
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