Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Awareness Week, observed the second full week in April, provides an opportunity to raise awareness about STIs and how they impact our lives; reduce STI-related stigma, fear, and discrimination; and ensure people have the tools and knowledge to prevent, test for, and treat STIs.
CDC estimates that about 20 percent of the U.S. population – approximately one in five people in the U.S. – had an STI on any given day in 2018, and STIs acquired that year cost the American health care system nearly $16 billion in health care costs alone. Preliminary 2020 data indicate reported STIs in the U.S. dropped as clinics and healthcare offices closed, then resurged when they reopened.
Honor Community Health is committed to assisting our patients and community in accessing resources about Sexual Health. If you would like additional information on resources or testing, please call Honor’s scheduling department at 248-724-7600 and select option 1 and then option 3 to make an appointment with an Honor Clinician.
Talk. Test. Treat.
If you are sexually active, or thinking of becoming sexually active, it is important that you Talk. Test. Treat. to protect your health. These three small actions can have a big impact on your sexual health!
TALK
Talk openly and honestly to your partner(s) and your Honor clinician about sexual health and STIs.
Talk with your partner(s) BEFORE having sex. Not sure how? We have tips to help you start the conversation. Make sure your discussion covers several important ways to make sex safer:
- Talk about when you were last tested and suggest getting tested together.
- If you have an STI (like herpes or HIV), tell your partner.
- Agree to only have sex with each other.
- Use condoms the right way for every act of vaginal, anal, and oral sex throughout the entire sex act (from start to finish).
Talk with your Honor clinician about your sex life as it relates to your health. This helps your Honor clinician understand what STI tests you should be getting and how often.
Here are a few questions you should expect and be prepared to answer honestly:
- Have you been sexually active in the last year?
- Do you have sex with men, women, or both?
- In the past 12 months, how many sexual partners have you had?
- Do you have anal, oral, or vaginal sex?
- What are you doing to protect yourself from STIs?
TEST
Get tested. It’s the only way to know for sure if you have an STI.
Many STIs don’t cause any symptoms, so you could have one and not know. If you’re having sex, getting tested is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health.
Find out what STI care options are available near you:
- Video or phone appointments with your Honor clinician.
- At-home collection where you collect your own sample and take or mail it to a lab for testing.
Honor will be providing free HIV take home tests at all locations throughout April. If you’re interested in receiving a confidential test, please reach out to us at 248-724-7600 and select option 0 to reach the scheduling department or visit our Family Medicine Center, Baldwin Family Medicine Center, or Summit Center locations.
TREAT
If you test positive for an STI, work with your Honor clinician to get the correct treatment.
Some STIs can be cured with the right medicine, and all STIs are treatable. Make sure your treatment works by doing these things:
- Take all of the medication your healthcare provider prescribes, even if you start feeling better or your symptoms go away.
- Don’t share your medicine with anyone.
- Avoid having sex again until you and your sex partner(s) have all completed treatment.
Your Honor clinician can talk with you about which medications are right for you.