{"id":5795,"date":"2020-07-24T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-24T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/?p=5795"},"modified":"2021-01-19T15:50:28","modified_gmt":"2021-01-19T15:50:28","slug":"7-myths-about-sexual-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/7-myths-about-sexual-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Fake News: 7 Myths About Sexual Health"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Would you consider yourself a\nsexpert, or does your knowledge about sexual health need a refresh? Misbeliefs\naround sexual health can have damaging consequences. Better2Know are here to bust\nthe myths and get the facts straight.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

There are many misconceptions about sexual health and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Whether it is something you read online or heard from a friend, false information can be very misleading. It\u2019s important to know the facts in order to keep safe and protect your health. So, here are 7 myths \u2013 and their truths!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Myth: <\/strong>\u2018If I had an STI, I would know about it\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fact:<\/strong>\nUnfortunately, this is not always the case. Many people with an STI do not show\nany symptoms of an infection. In fact, around 80% of women and 50% of men do\nnot show any signs of Chlamydia<\/a>.\nRegular testing is always advised to make sure an STI does not go undetected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth: <\/strong>\u2018An STI will eventually disappear without treatment\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fact:<\/strong>\nAn STI will not go away by itself. However, most STIs can be easily treated and\ncured with a course of antibiotics. Early detection is important. The longer an\ninfection is left untreated, the more serious the potential health implications\nbecome. These health risks vary depending on the type of infection, ranging\nfrom infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and damage to vital organs\nin the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth: <\/strong>\u2018A swab test is painful and embarrassing\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fact:<\/strong> You may feel uncomfortable at the idea of having a swab taken, but the process is quick, simple, and pain-free. Our clinicians have seen it all before, so there is no need to feel embarrassed. You are taking responsibility for your sexual health which is the most important thing to remember.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Myth: <\/strong>\u2018STIs only affect young people who have sex with multiple people\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fact:<\/strong>\nAs the saying goes, once is enough to catch a sexually transmitted infection. Anyone\nwho is sexually active is at risk of catching an STI \u2013 no matter their age, gender,\nor sexuality. STIs do not discriminate and nobody is immune.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth: <\/strong>\u2018If I use a condom, I am protected against all STIs\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fact: <\/strong>Apart\nfrom abstaining from sex, condoms are the most effective method to prevent STIs.\nHowever, they are not 100% effective and do not cover the whole genital area. It\nis possible to catch some infections including Herpes<\/a>\nand Syphilis<\/a>\nthrough skin-on-skin contact alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth: <\/strong>\u2018My STI test and results will appear on my medical records forever\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fact:<\/strong>\nWhen you test with Better2Know, all your personal information is kept private\nand confidential. We will never share your results with anyone else without\nyour permission. If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can even choose to\nbe anonymous for your tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth: <\/strong>\u2018You cannot catch Herpes from someone unless they are having an outbreak\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fact:<\/strong> Herpes<\/a> can be spread even when a person has no visible symptoms. This is known as a process called \u2018asymptomatic viral shedding\u2019. It most often happens in the early stages of infection, and just before or after an outbreak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can find more information about STIs on our website<\/a>. If you have additional questions about sexual health, please do not hesitate to contact our highly trained advisors by phone or live chat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Would you consider yourself a sexpert, or does your knowledge about sexual health need a refresh? Misbeliefs around sexual health can have damaging consequences. Better2Know are here to bust the myths and get the facts straight.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":""},"categories":[3,6,20,16,7],"tags":[2956,95,2953,2955,2954],"yst_prominent_words":[700,1690,2028,2007,727,568,820,608,728,2952,2951,655,570,563,576,560,571,752,706,577],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5795"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5795"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5795\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5801,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5795\/revisions\/5801"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5795"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5795"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5795"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.better2know.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=5795"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}