Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) or Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) as most medical practitioners prefer to call it, affects men and women, teenagers and young adults regardless of their age, ethnic group and status as long as they involve in sexual activity. In a report released by The Center for Disease Control (CDC), it was stated that about 20 million new STIs are identified every year in America with teenagers and young adults between the ages of 15-24 years making half of these figures.
Men and women, especially those with more than one sexual partners and those who do not practice safe sex are at risk of contracting an STD.
The importance for using protection and getting tested on a regular basis cannot be over emphasized. It is very much possible for an individual to contract a sexually transmitted disease without knowing because there were no signs or symptoms. Usually, the first sign or symptoms that causes one to be aware of an infection or disease are signs of fatigue and weariness, however, some STDs may cause such conditions or give rise to these signs while some don’t and so a person might have it and not be aware that he or she does, thereby passing the infection onto other unsuspecting individuals.
FACTS ABOUT SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES IN MEN
A large number of Sexually Transmitted Diseases at the early stage are similar to that of influenza symptoms thereby making it hard to precisely pinpoint the presence of a sexually transmitted infection.
For men, STD infection devoid of symptoms can linger for so long, causing irreparable damage if not detected earlier and given immediate medical care. However, in most cases, there will be signs and symptoms such as rashes on the nether regions, penile discharge and oozing, bumps or injury on the penis and itching.
Also, an infected man can witness excruciating pain while urinating or ejaculating. These indicates the presence of a sexually transmitted infection. The only way men can know for sure if they have contracted any sexual transmitted infection is to go for regularly tests, particularly after unprotected sex.
It usually takes a few days for STD symptoms to develop in men, often times weeks but the mistake commonly made by most men is that they mistake the absence of symptoms for an absence of STD and so they pay no attention even after having unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners thereby giving chance for an STD to keep degenerating. STIs like Chlamydia if left untreated, can infect the prostate gland which leads to a condition called prostatitis which in turn causes erectile dysfunction in men. The tough part is chlamydia has no symptoms and men who have contracted this STI are unaware that they have.
It is advised that men test for syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea at least once a year. For chlamydia and gonorrhea, screening is done either through a penile swab or urine test while for syphilis, your doctor will conduct a physical test, checking for rashes or chancres. Blood tests will also be carried out.
DO YOU HAVE AN STD? HERE ARE THE SIGNS
Most sexually active men, maybe due to ego or something else are reluctant to admit when they come down with something like and STI. In fact, they find it awkward having an honest discussion when it comes to matters concerning their sexual lives of asking a doctor upfront for STD test. Many are fast to brush such thoughts aside or will presume to be the first realize if they had a sexually transmitted disease.
While most STDs are without symptoms and many others can be in a state of comatose for years, there are a few symptoms to look out for which automatically indicates that something is wrong.
- Blisters: small bubble like swelling filled with fluid will begin to appear on the penis or around it
- Penile Discharge/oozing: thick or thin fluid will begin to trick out from the tip of the penis. The secretion may be white or yellow
- Difficulty in urinating and ejaculating: it becomes almost excruciatingly painful to urinate brought on by the inflammation of the urethra due to the presence of an STI
- Testicles increase in size: swollen testicles is another sign of a red flag for sexually active men
- Itching: The presence of an STI, causes the skin of the penis becomes irritated thereby giving an uncomfortable sensation with the strong desire to scratch
- Rashes: an area of redness and spots begin to appear on the penis, testicles and groin
- The best thing any sexually active man can do for himself is to avail himself for regular screening for STDs. We understand that asking for STD testing can feel awkward and maybe build a little tension for you, but it is really important so as to avoid irreversible damage or at worse even death.
