One valuable byproduct of this global pandemic we are experiencing may be the increased awareness of how much we have taken for granted when it comes to our health, and how much more careful we need to be when it comes to communicable diseases. Perhaps it can help put into perspective the importance of taking sexual health seriously. Here are some facts to consider when it comes to sexual activity:
15-24 year olds experience some of the highest rates of STIs. For example, two-thirds of all chlamydia and gonorrhea cases were in people aged between 15 and 24 in the Waterloo Region in 2017.
The most common symptoms of an STI are - none at all.
STIs can be transmitted through oral, vaginal, or anal sexual activity, bodily fluids, or contact with infected skin, even if you have no symptoms.
While many people aren’t worried because the infections are treatable:
There have been cases which have been resistant to the antiviral medications
Undetected/untreated STI’s can lead to male and female sterility, along with other health problems
Untreated STI’s can increase chances of contracting HIV
5. You should be tested after having unprotected sex and before having sex with a
new partner.
Your health and overall well-being matters, and it is worth taking the necessary steps to keep yourself, and those you care about, safe.
Confidential and caring STI Testing appointments are available at:
Dawn Centre
507-73 Water St. N.
519-620-0204
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