11 misconceptions about sexually transmitted diseases among young people

Don't think that having many sexual partners will cause you to get a sexually transmitted disease. In fact, it only takes one unsafe sex to get infected.

Master Nguyen Van Hoc, Andrology - Sexual Medicine Clinic, Department of Andrology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, pointed out some misconceptions about risky behaviors and sexually transmitted diseases.

Only people with many sexual partners get sexually transmitted diseases.

In fact, having sex just once can cause sexually transmitted diseases, because the partner has or is having many sexual partners.

Using a condom during sex will protect you 100%

Condoms are the safest way to prevent HIV infection. However, this method cannot guarantee the prevention of all sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea, syphilis, genital warts, etc. However, using condoms correctly also helps significantly reduce the chance of spreading sexually transmitted diseases.

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No symptoms means no infection

Many patients think that if they do not have symptoms of an STD, it means they are not infected. In fact, most STDs lurk in the body without showing symptoms right away.

Sexually transmitted diseases are only spread in certain areas.

Some patients said they did not know that they had a sexually transmitted disease and that the area where they lived did not have it. In fact, sexually transmitted diseases are everywhere and infected people do not know.

New penetrative sex sexually transmitted disease

Many people think that sexually transmitted diseases can only be transmitted through vaginal or anal intercourse. In fact, vaginal or anal intercourse are the two most common routes of transmission, but other activities such as oral sex, intravenous drug use, and tattooing can also cause disease.

Some women think that STDs can only be transmitted through a man's ejaculation into the vagina. However, STDs can be transmitted orally, vaginally, and anally without ejaculation. Vaginal secretions and secretions from the male Cowper's glands contain many sexually transmitted pathogens.

In general, almost all sexual acts involving contact with a partner carry a risk of sexually transmitted diseases. The more intimate the sexual activity, the higher the risk of contracting and transmitting a sexually transmitted disease. Oral or skin-to-skin sexual contact can transmit some sexually transmitted diseases regardless of the degree of contact between the two people's body fluids.

Taking birth control pills will protect you from sexually transmitted diseases.

Some female patients who come to see a sexual health clinic say, "I'm on birth control pills, so I'm protected against sexually transmitted diseases." In fact, hormonal birth control does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.

One time sex cannot transmit sexually transmitted diseases

Many patients say that they cannot get an STD the first time they have sex. In fact, this is not true, the risk of getting an STD does not depend on the number of times you have sex.

Sexually transmitted diseases are not too dangerous.

Some people think that sexually transmitted diseases are not dangerous because they are easy to treat. Then the patient's body will have immunity against future diseases. In fact, many sexually transmitted diseases, if left untreated, can spread to other parts of the reproductive tract and cause infertility. Some sexually transmitted diseases that cannot be cured can even lead to death.

"Religious" people will not get sexually transmitted diseases

Many women think that men who are clean, well-groomed and well-dressed are less likely to get sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, germs, viruses and parasites do not spare anyone.

Sexually transmitted diseases are only transmitted among low-income populations.

Many people believe that sexually transmitted diseases are only common among low-income groups. In fact, they are widespread in all social classes.

Circumcision reduces the risk of sexually transmitted diseases

Many men undergo circumcision in the belief that it will reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, there are only a few studies in Africa that have addressed this issue, especially HIV infection, but there is insufficient evidence to confirm that circumcision reduces the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

According to Danviet