Sexual Health

Sexuality is part of being human. Love, affection and intimacy all play a role in healthy relationships from childhood through the aging process. Taking care of yourself and your health includes taking care of your sexuality and sexual health. Feeling confident about your sexual health is just as important as caring for your physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Achieving good sexual health involves maintaining healthy relationships, planning pregnancy, and avoiding disease.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections acquired by sexual contact. You can get an STD by having unprotected sex with a partner who’s infected. You can’t always tell if someone is infected, however, because many STDs cause no symptoms, at least at first. In fact, a person may have an STD without knowing it. Did you know that about 1 in 4 people living with HIV do not know they are infected?

Love and take care of yourself. Be vigilant about protecting yourself from STDs. If you’re sexually active, your best bet for STD prevention is to have just one sex partner who doesn’t have any STDs and who has sex only with you. If you’re not in an exclusive relationship, you can still protect yourself by learning about and consistently practicing STD prevention, such as using condoms. No matter what type of relationship you are in, protect yourself!

You may find it difficult to talk about  your sexual health and the sexual health of your partner while you are just getting to know someone intimately. Nevertheless, you should talk with your partner! Respect yourself and protect the health of your relationship. Use these questions as a guide to get the conversation going.

1. Are you having sex with anyone else?
2. How many sexual partners have you had?
3. Have you ever had an STD?
4. Have you ever had a sexual partner who had HIV or another STD?
5. How long has it been since you’ve been tested for HIV and other STDs?
6. How many sexual partners have you had since then?
7. Have you ever had genital ulcers or warts?
8. Do you have any STD symptoms – ulcers, warts, vaginal or penile discharge?
9. Do you know how to tell if you are infected with an STD?
10. Do you prefer getting tested for HIV and other STDs, and then having a monogamous relationship, or using condoms each time we have sex?

Still have questions or concerns? Use the HIV testing form to request a one-on-one with an ASG educator. We’ll help you figure out how to ask the right questions to protect your health.