How to Reduce Your Chances of Contracting STDs

Regular sex can be good for a man’s mental and physical well-being, not to mention, it’s good exercise as well! Unfortunately, sex can also lead to some seriously painful and even life-threatening diseases if you are not careful.

Therefore, it is important to find ways to protect yourself from contracting an STD, without practicing abstinence, and we will discuss some of the most effective methods below.

Use that Condom

Yes, you already know about condoms, but the question is, are you really using them? Unfortunate as it is, studies have shown that a good percentage of people who are perfectly aware of HIV, AIDs, other STDs and the role of condoms in preventing them, don’t use condoms anyway. Ignorance is not the issue here, but a misplaced sense of trust, lack of intellectual maturity and just plain carelessness is the prime reason behind men not wearing condoms during sexual intercourse.

Get Yourself Immunized

The HPV vaccine for men is available in the UK and most doctors advise it as well. While women are at the highest risk of developing cancers (cervical and oral) due to HPV infection, it doesn’t mean that men don’t stand to gain from the immunisation either. To learn more about how and why all men need HPV immunisation, you should read the following article by LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor:

https://onlinedoctor.lloydspharmacy.com/blog/men-benefit-hpv-vaccine/.

In their guide you can find details on how you can benefit from the vaccine, how to get it and the potential side effects.

The HPV vaccine for gay men is particularly necessary and insisted upon by doctors, but even heterosexual men benefit from the immunization. The HPV vaccine for boys is advantageous and recommended, irrespective of their sexual inclination because it helps to prevent men from ever contracting or spreading the disease in the first place. Nobody should have to feel guilty about afflicting their partners with a potentially carcinogenic virus, without even knowing that they had it in the first place.

Limit the Number of Your Sexual Partners

There are multiple STDs that a condom cannot protect you against and therefore, the chances of men getting infected with crabs, herpes, HPV, syphilis, etc., increases exponentially when monogamy is not practiced. It can still happen even if you are faithful to each other, because there are ways in which sexually transmitted diseases can be spread without ever having sex unfortunately.

Do Not Share Clothing or Towels

Very few people know that even the simple act of sharing a towel in the gym or a piece of clothing (underwear in particular) can get men infected with an STD. This is easier said than done, especially when you are among friends, but considering the consequences, the extra effort is well worth it!

Keep in mind that sex is like driving; there’s always a risk each time you get behind the wheel, but with the proper precautions, you can definitely reduce the chances of an accident from ever occurring. As long as someone has an active sex life, it is advised to get tested every few months for STDs, particularly, if there is more than one partner involved in the person’s sex life. It will not prevent the contraction of the infection, but regular check-ups can help you to cure or control the disease before it sets in too deep.

This is a guest blog entry.