The Not-So-Obvious Benefits of STD & HIV Testing

There are the obvious benefits, of course – knowing your own status and your potential partner’s status is going to prevent contracting and/or spreading STD’s… but sometimes that’s not our first thought when we’re “in the mood.” When you start feeling somebody (either attracted to them, or starting to catch feelings) you’re not thinking about whether or not they’re going to give you a disease! If that’s what we were thinking, it would kill the mood almost immediately.

For this reason, I think the information about contraction rates, symptoms, safe sex practices, and all that stuff doesn’t motivate people to be safe the way it should. You don’t look at a good looking person and automatically think about protecting yourself from them. Some website or TV commercial warning you about how easy it is to spread HIV doesn’t always stick with you the way it should.  

But what ARE we thinking? Possibly about emotional attachment, whether or not the person feels the same way, a possible relationship with this person, etc… Realizing how much getting tested for STD’s and HIV can affect THESE things could actually motivate people to be more careful about it. At least I would think so.

There are other benefits to getting tested, beyond just health reasons. Getting tested could be related to your emotional attachment to a person; it can also show you whether or not that person feels the same way about you, and it could have a huge impact on a relationship you are already in:

• How much effort are you worth? – If you get involved with someone and you ask them to get tested before you have sex, you are taking a risk. Your comfort level at even bringing up the issue should indicate to you where you stand. Hesitant? That should tell you something. Or, let’s say you ask, but they refuse. A person who doesn’t want to put that much effort in will probably disappoint you further down the line anyway. Even if it’s not a serious relationship, your health is serious. The issue of getting tested could point you in the right direction for who you should even be sharing yourself with.
• Create a Checkpoint – if you become involved with someone for a while, or get into a relationship, it’s always good to establish where you started. Oftentimes, one partner goes for their annual check-up and they find out, unexpectedly, they have an STD. How do you know when or where you got it? Does it pre-date your relationship? Does this mean your partner cheated? Without that CHECKPOINT you can’t really say for sure, especially if your partner denies cheating. This has a tremendous affect on trust between partners.

You could make the decision that from now on, when you meet someone and feel like you want to become sexually involved with them, you’re going to ask them to get tested first (and also get tested yourself). This is not to pass a judgment saying you should only have sex within a serious relationship – if you are young, single, or just want to do your thing, THIS STILL APPLIES! Why not be responsible for yourself and make sure that EVERY situation you get in is a safe one?

Questions, Comments, Suggestions? Comment here or email askkeeyar@gmail.com

[Comments on blogs can be sent to: askkeeyar@gmail.com & they will be posted for you]