The CDC has declared sexually-transmitted diseases as an ongoing and severe epidemic in the United States. There are approximately 20 million new STD infections each year in the U.S., and that number continues to grow. The majority of the infections are in young adults, aged 15 to 24, even though this group only represents 25 percent of sexually active people. The most common infections are:
- Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Syphillis
- Herpes
- Hepatitis B
- Trichomoniasis
- HIV
If found early, Gonorrhea, Syphillis, Trichomoniasis and Chlamydia can all be easily cured. However, many people infected with one of these diseases doesn’t realize it because they don’t exhibit any symptoms or mistake the symptoms as symptoms of a common ailment such as the flu.
All of these infections are preventable, and the CDC encourages everyone who is sexually active to get an STD test and get treatment right away if the results are positive. The CDC also advises that abstaining from sex, consistently and correctly using condoms and having a small number of sexual partners will also help lower the risk of infection.
If you’ve been too embarrassed to get an STD test or afraid that your name will be reported to your state health board, you can follow our anonymous testing guide and get a truly and completely anonymous STD test and treatment for some diseases. STDs are always more treatable when caught early, so get tested regularly and do it anonymously!
