By Jose
It's that time of the year again! The time where people are going around looking for hidden surprises...yes I am talking about Easter. But for those who have outgrown the traditional egg hunt, you are probably looking for something more age appropriate.
But what if while in the hunt you find something you weren't looking for? Not everyone likes unexpected surprises ESPECIALLY not if that surprise is an STD. Most people who have an STD don't know they are infected! In fact, there are about 3 million new cases of chlamydia each year but only about half of those are reported and treated. Now this is not only dangerous to the person infected, but also for anyone they have sex with.
So how can someone stop spreading a disease that they don't even know they have? Well the answer is pretty simple...you can't. That's why you need to GYT: Get Yourself Tested! April is GYT month, so it's the perfect time to go to your local clinic for confidential, low-to-no cost testing. If you dont know where your nearest clinic is, TeenSource.org has a great tool called the Clinic Finder to help you find the clinic nearest to you. And hey, why not take a friend if you feel shy or scared? You and your friend can both get tested for common STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea. You can even get an HIV test and have the results back within 20 mins absolutely free!
If you do in fact have an STD, your clinician will help you figure out the next steps to get treated and retested if needed. And remember, while at the clinic, be sure to pick up some free condoms and use them the next time you have sex to play it safe. Together, we can put a stop to the spread of STDs.