Men: Do you know your Status
Men, why is it that we do not take the time and go to the doctors to get tested? History has shown that not one of us is immune to any of the STD’s (sexually transmitted disease) that are out there today. It is important to get tested, even if you are not having sex because there are other ways to contract a STD, as by a simple cut that gets infected, drinking or eating behind somebody, or even by a blood transfusion.
Why is it that fewer than two out of ten men ever figured they were even at risk for acquiring a STD. Half of sexually active men will contract an std by the time they’re in their mid-20’s. Most men think that if they don’t feel or see something down there that they don’t have anything. That is the misguided conception as well as uneducated thinking of some men failing to realize that it takes longer to detect a STD in men than it does in women. We need to realize the importance as not just men, but as teachers to teach our sons, brothers, as well as our nephews the importance and reasons of getting tested as well. I had a conversation with a friend on Facebook, and she was recalling a conversation she had with a 25-year old male she kicked off her video shoot to go get tested and know his STD status. She stated that he didn’t know the process of getting an STD screening and he said, “I’ve been having sex since 17 and I’ve never been burnt before.”
She had to tell him “just because it’s not on fire doesn’t mean it’s not burning.” What he didn’t realize before which I’m sure his doctor informed him was that in men we can have an undetected STD from 10 days to 6 weeks before we feel even one symptom of a STD.
Also, what this 25-year old man did not know if he was walking around with or without an std, but him not knowing his status also cost him to miss out on money, and could have cost him his life if he was not told to go get check.
How many other men out there are just like this man not getting tested or even knowing the process of a STD screening? The thing about these screenings is that they are free so what are the reasons if any that when they are in a city nearby that we do not go. If we can go wait in some long line trying to get in a club to get in free before midnight, why is it that we cannot go get and wait in a line that can tell us about our health and life. The information is out there, especially on the internet, just as simple as it is for us to log on to our Facebook and Twitter accounts to post some status about nothing that is of importance to anybody other than us.
Let’s as men take the vow to turn that two out of every ten men and turn it to ten out of every ten men getting tested, and being aware of our health. Now how about we Facebook and tweet about that for a change.
More information can be sought here with these websites
National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention- www.cdc.gov/std
American Social Health Association- www.ashastd.org