Sex is often considered a healthy part of any relationship, provided that there is consent between the involved parties. However, its healthiness is compromised when you’re unsure whether or not your partner is clear of any form of sexually-transmitted diseases or STDs.
STDs are health compromises that are present when you have unprotected sex – that includes not using condoms, contraceptives, and not knowing the sexual health status of your partner. But even if you do use protection, you should still have yourself and your partner tested for STDs so you can clear the air and enjoy the benefits that sex comes with.
The caveat of getting tested with your partner is that it is, in most cases, easier said than done because sexual health is a sensitive matter. But nonetheless, it can be done; you just need to do it accordingly – and here’s how.
Start the conversation
This step is often the most awkward because this involves sparking a conversation about sexual health without the assurance of whether or not your partner will be receptive. However, you need to get past this step to proceed to the next. To slide this conversation with ease, talk about how much you care for each other, and once your partner engages in the conversation, find a way to steer the topic into how there are other ways that you can express that care, one of which is getting tested for STDs.
Think about it – the more you have sex without knowing each other’s status, the more risks there are not just to yourselves but also to your relationship. You need to dispel the idea that tests for STDs are only for those who are sexually involved with multiple people, as there are other ways that STDs can be contracted and going for a test is the one way to make sure you and your partner are safe.
Discuss how the pros outweigh the cons
While STDs and sexual health might come as taboo for most Asians, there are indeed many advantages to talking about these openly with your partner. While there might be drawbacks like the travelling time taken, the anxiety and the drawing of blood, these negatives can be easily overweight by knowing with certainty whether you are STD free or not.
If you and your partner test negative, then you can freely take advantage of sex while keeping its related risks to a minimum. But if your results merit positive for certain STDs, you would be able to seek early treatment. The earlier you get diagnosed with these, the sooner you’ll gain access to treatments necessary for you to live a healthy life.
Do your research
As much as you can, try to Google and learn more about STDs that you think you might have contracted because more often than not, you might believe some of their common misconceptions due to notoriety. Knowing these helps you understand the severity and importance of getting tested, especially if you and/or your partner have multiple partners or have engaged in unsafe sex practices recently. Aside from knowing more about the disease, researching can also help you find the best testing facility that can provide you with all the care that you would need, regardless of the results.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a place where you and your partner can get tested for STDs, get in touch with us at Elyon Clinic. We are women and men’s health clinic in Singapore that provides a variety of sexual health services, including testing and screening for both STD and HIV, STD prevention, and HIV PEP. We assure you the strictest of confidentiality and we take your health and wellbeing as our utmost priority.
