post 6 part 2

Respond to at least one peer by supporting agreement or polite disagreement and adding additional information and ideas to further the discussion.( write me up a paragraph responding to this post below ).

please look at the powerpoint and hangout and write me up a paragraph responding to this post below ).

Transcript

Jaime McLean

STI and HIV Testing for Young Adults

Why should I get tested? This is a really important question, especially for young adults. STI and HIV testing is vital to the sexual health of everybody, but young adults aren’t getting tested as often as they should. This presentation is going to cover why STI and HIV testing is so important, the cost of not getting tested, where people can get their test, and how they can protect themselves and others from the spread of STIs and HIV.

So why talk about this? Well, STI and HIV testing saves live. Getting tested is the only way to know if you have a sexually transmitted infection or HIV. But the fact of the matter is that many young adults are not getting tested as regularly as they should. This is a big problem because most STIs and HIV cases are spread because one person doesn’t know that they have it. And if they don’t know that they have it, well, they can’t get it treated and might not be taking as many prevention measures like using condoms as they could. We will talk about all of this and, where people can get tested, and what people can do to prevent the spread of STIs and HIV.

Let’s cover the basic facts. In the united states, it is estimated that about 1 in 5 people have an STI. And half of all new STI cases were in young adults ages 15 to 24. How can so many people have STIs and not know it? Well, surprisingly, many people don’t experience symptoms of STIs when they are infected. They might not feel anything different for weeks, months, even years. So, relying on symptoms isn’t really a great way to know if someone has an STI or not. Plus, many people aren’t getting tested regularly. Because so many people aren’t getting regular testing, STIs and HIV can kind of sneak by.

STIs don’t just impact a person’s health. They also cost a lot of money and time. It is estimated that new STI infections have cost over 16 billion dollars to treat and manage. We can think about the cost for an individual. While some STIs can be cured with medication like antibiotics, others can’t. STIs like HIV can require lifelong treatment and medication, and this can add up too, especially if people don’t have insurance.

Complications from STIs can also be costly. Infertility or not being able to have children can be very expensive as well. Long-term damage caused by STIs can be very hard on a person financially, medically, and emotionally. So not getting tested can mean some serious things. We already covered that most STIs are passed because someone doesn’t know that they have one. And not getting tested means that someone’s not getting treatment. Early treatment can really help reduce those serious side effects and complications from having a sexually transmitted infection or HIV. The earlier someone gets tested, the better. So not getting tested and treated early can really hurt someone’s health in the long term.

So it’s important to know your STI and HIV status. This means that you can make the best decisions for your health. It’s important to talk with your partner or partners about your current and past STI and HIV history before ever having sex or sharing needles and works. This is really important because if you know your history and your partner’s history, you can take additional measures to keep yourself safe. Knowing what you can do to prevent the spread of STIs and HIV is not only important for your health, but the health of the people you care about, your partners, and really everyone. in the long run, a 10 or 15-minute test can save you time energy money and your health.

So what’s stopping you from getting tested? A lot of people don’t even know they are at risk for STIs and HIV., and not every STI is the same. Some are spread through skin-to-skin contact. Others can be spread through sexual contact, vaginal fluids, semen, and things like that. Others can be spread by sharing needles and works. Knowing how STIs and HIV spread can help you understand your risk a little bit better. Some people might be at higher risk for some STIs or HIV and lower risk for others. So think about your sexual history. How many partners have you had, and how many partners has your partner had? What is your partner’s sexual history? When was the last time you or your partner were tested? have you ever been tested?

There are really important things to think about. when you know your risk, you and your doctor or nurse can take additional steps to help you stay protected. Knowing your risk is part of it, but we also have to take care of some of those myths about STI’s and HIV. the fact is anyone can get an STI or HIV. Many STIs can be cured with medication and treatment, and those that can’t be managed for the long term, but the only way to do that is to know your status. It’s recommended that everyone get tested for HIV at least once in their life. And for people with a higher risk factor s they might need to get tested more often. And ultimately, it’s important to know that having an STI or HIV does not mean you can’t be healthy or that you can never have sex or a partner again. Plenty of people live with STIs and HIV. And they can live long, healthy lives once they know their status, and they can start working on their treatment.

So, let’s cover some of the facts about STI’s in the United States some of the most common STIs are chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, HPV, and herpes. These aren’t all of them, but we’re seeing more and more cases. When you go to get your test, you’ll talk with the nurse or doctor about your risk factors, your sexual history, and anything else that can help them decide what you need to be tested for. Most of the time, people are not tested for every single STI, so answering those questions honestly and completely can really help the doctor or nurse know what test you need and what prevention will work for you.

HIV is a virus that attacks immune systems, and overtime, it can kill without medication or treatment. HIV is passed through a few body fluids like blood contact, semen, vaginal fluids, anal fluids, or breastmilk. It cannot be passed through skin-to-skin contact, saliva, or anything like that. The HIV test takes less than 10 minutes. It’s a simple finger poke, and you can have your results before you leave the clinic.

While HIV cannot be cured, HIV medications are very effective. In fact, there is something called undetectably untransmittable. And that means that the medication is working so well that when doctors test the person for HIV, they can’t find it. This doesn’t mean HIV is cured. If they stop taking their medication, it will come back and start doing damage to the body. But when doctors can’t find it while the person is on their HIV medication, it means that it is almost impossible for that person to infect someone else with HIV. This means people who are undetectable can have children, breastfeed, and are at lower risk of transmitting HIV to their partner or children. With treatment under the supervision of doctors and nurses, people with HIV from a long and healthy life. But the only way they can achieve that is to get tested.

So now that we know a bit more about STI’s and HIV, let’s talk about how we can protect our health. Along with testing, using prevention like barrier methods really helps reduce the spread of STIs and HIV. Using condoms and dental dams made of latex or latex-free material are very effective preventing STI’s and HIV when they are used correctly every single time someone has sex. for people who use injection drugs using clean needles and not sharing their needles or their works is another good way to prevent the spread of STI’s and HIV.

Where do people go to get tested? There are a number of different options depending where you are. Your doctor might be able to offer some testing, or you could go to a local clinic that specializes in STI and HIV testing. Your local health department might have more information or even offer testing at their location if you need help finding a clinic gettested.cdc.gov to find a clinic near you. There are even some home STI testing kits. But regardless of where you get tested, it’s important to follow up with whatever treatment the nurse or doctor gives you.

What if I can’t afford my test? This is a very common concern, but the good news is that many clinics offer testing really cheap or even free. You don’t even need to have insurance. When you make your appointment be sure to ask if they can help cover the cost of your test and medication. Many clinics will have information to help you out. And some might even be a title 10 clinic which has special funding to cover testing for people who don’t have insurance or the money to pay for it.

We covered some really important ways that you can take control of your health. Knowing your risk is a key tool to know if you need to get tested. Once you do, you can schedule your test either at a local clinic, your health Department, or maybe even your doctor’s office. Getting tested can be kind of scary. People might be wondering what will happen if it’s positive, what will I do, what will my partner say? It can be really intimidating. Bring a partner or a friend to support you. You don’t have to go it alone. Be sure to talk with any current or past partners about your STI and HIV status and knowing beforehand or communicating if you have a positive test can help stop the spread. If your test is positive, your partner will want to come in and get tested too so they can get treated. And of course, using protection correctly every time can help reduce your risk of getting STIs or HIV., so get tested, know your status, and take control.