Sexually Transmitted Disease Treatment

If you've had unprotected sex, chances are good you might have a parting gift that goes beyond a bad headache and a vague memory of the other person. You might have a sexually transmitted disease. Yes, this is not sexy, nor is it anything you might want to think about, but there are treatments available to help you put this one time (hopefully) mistake past you. The only trick is that many sexually transmitted disease options need to be used as quickly as possible, so if you think you might be infected, you need to seek medical care as soon as you can.

Do I Need a Sexually Transmitted Disease Treatment?

This is the first question (or the first scent of denial) for most people - how will I know if I have an STD? Look, if you've had unprotected sex and you don't quite know your partner or you don't trust them, you might want to get tested. And even if it's been a while since this mistake, you still want to get tested. Some diseases don't have immediate symptoms and still others have a long development period (HIV, for example, might not be symptomatic for 10 to 15 years after initial exposure).

But even though many illnesses on the list of sexually transmitted diseases may not have immediate symptoms, others do. Itching and burning in your private can be symptoms of an infection, as can a fever or some discharge from places where you don't expect to have discharge. If you notice sores or warts in your genital region, you should also head to the doctor to see what you can do about that problem.

Though sexually transmitted diseases might not seem like a big deal, they can actually cause long term damage if not treated. Syphilis, for example, can cause long term brain damage if it's not treated.

The Sexually Transmitted Disease Treatment Options

The good news is that science has been able to keep up with STDs, more or less. For most conditions, you will simply need to take a pill or rub some salve on the infected area - and in a few weeks, you will be healed up. However, if you have contracted a virus like HIV or herpes, you're stuck with this. There's little science can do to fix you up. While there are treatments and medications which can control your symptoms, you will have this for the rest of your life.

Some diseases require that you take a daily pill to control symptoms, while others might require IV therapies and drug cocktails with hard side effects. Does this scare you?

It's crucial that when you are assigned a sexually transmitted disease treatment that you follow the doctor's orders exactly. It is also important that you do not have sex anymore unless you are wearing a condom or with a partner who is wearing a condom. Though you might be feeling better, that doesn't mean that your partner is. Trusting your partner might not be your best method of protection, after all.