Highlights
- How often should males get tested for STDs? The answer depends on the sexual risks you assume.
- The more sexually adventurous you are, the more likely you are to acquire an STD.
- One in five Americans carries an STD.
- At-home STD testing is a workable solution for those who avoid in-person screening.
How often should males get tested for STDs? The answer depends on how sexually active you are, but it’s probably more often than you think.
STDs are more common than people realize. Many are symptomless or produce ambiguous symptoms that sufferers can mistake for other conditions. Affordable STD testing is available, however. At-home STD testing is a solution for those who feel uneasy about going to a clinic for in-person testing.
How Often Should Males Get Tested for STDs?
Your recommended frequency of STD testing depends on your lifestyle, sexual preferences, age, and the number of your sexual partners.
- Once per year: the bare minimum. If you are a sexually active man, getting screened once a year is the least you can and should do. If you don’t jump from one partner to another, this low-frequency testing may help you treat a potential STD before passing it on to someone else.
- Every time you have sex with a new partner. Whenever you hook up with a new partner, you expose yourself to STDs. Therefore, one of the best times to get screened for STDs is after sexual encounters like this.
- Periodically, with a higher frequency. If you have multiple partners and engage in sexual contact at every opportunity, you place yourself at a higher risk of acquiring an STD. For very sexually active people who are not monogamous, the CDC recommends STD screening every three months.
- Once a month if you deem it necessary. If you understand how your sexual behavior relates to your STD risk factors, you can determine the frequency of screening you need. If you go out partying every weekend and end up having sex with a new partner every time, it may be reasonable to have yourself checked more often.
Be aware that some of the STDs have long incubation periods. Tests may not detect these infections for six months after exposure.
Risk Factors and Your STD Testing Schedule
If you have sex with another person, you should consider getting tested. Being sexually active doesn’t mean that you assume the same risks as other sexually active men. Everyone’s risk profile is different. Having sex with the same person multiple times is not nearly as risky as engaging in sexual activities with many people.
By being sexually responsible, you can limit your STD risks. Some risk factors are beyond your control, however. Consider getting tested if any of the following scenarios occur:
- You discover that your longtime partner had sexual relations with one or more other people
- You think you may have been infected and notice STD symptoms
- You took part in an encounter involving several partners or other unusual sexual practices
- You are thinking about having unprotected sex with your longtime partner
- You’re about to have sex with a person for the first time
The best way to limit your STD risk factors is to be in a long-term relationship with one person, with both of you avoiding sex outside the relationship. Getting screened at the beginning of the relationship can ensure that you don’t end up passing an STD back and forth without realizing it.
How Common are STDs?
According to the CDC, various sexually transmitted diseases infect more and more people each year. In a report released in April 2019, the CDC noted 1.8 million chlamydia cases in the US, marking a 19 percent increase from 2015.
Gonorrhea and syphilis infections skyrocketed.
- The CDC found more than 600,000 gonorrhea cases, up 56 percent from 2015.
- The 130,000 syphilis cases marked a 75 percent increase from 2015.
The official numbers probably don’t paint an accurate enough picture of the facts. Many infected don’t know they carry the disease or don’t want to get tested and find out. The rising trends may result from more successful and widespread screening.
The CDC is certain that at least one in five Americans walks around with an STD.
What’s Worse than Contracting an STD?
Contracting an STD is bad enough. It’s worse, however, when you pass on the disease to someone else. The only way to avoid that is to get screened for STDs regularly.
You can estimate your risk of STDs. Depending on how many sexual partners you have and how sexually active you are, you have a higher or lower risk of acquiring an STD. To know whether you are STD-free or not, you have to get tested.
Navigating the Stigma of STDs
The reason why many men with STDs never get tested is that they’re ashamed to discuss their problems with their doctors. It’s not easy to reveal your sexual practices to a stranger. And it’s even more difficult to show your disease-ridden manhood to a professional.
Your sexual health is as important as other aspects of your health. By avoiding testing, you refuse to face the truth and contribute to spreading STDs in your community. You deny yourself treatment and may invite worse problems down the line, such as erectile dysfunction.
Honesty is the only policy that earns you timely and optimal treatment. Women tend to have regular sexual health checkups. Few men ever think about their sexual health unless they know there might be a problem.
If you think you may have an STD but don’t want to discuss it with your doctor, know that there are at-home STD tests you can use.
At-Home STD Tests for Men
At-home STD testing eliminates fear and shame from the testing process. It allows men to give their sexual health the attention it needs.
A diverse range of at-home STD test kits can detect specific STDs or screen for a panel of the most common diseases. Some at-home STD test kit providers also offer their clients medical attention for positive results.
How often should males get tested for STDs? As often as they deem it necessary. Responsible adults understand the risks they take when having sex and should determine their STD screening frequency accordingly.
At the very least, all sexually active males should have an STD test every year.
eDrugstore Can Help You Detect and Treat Your STDs
Get tested and treat your STD now to avoid future complications that may cause problems like erectile dysfunction. If you test positive and need rapid and discreet treatment, we can help. See our sexual health page to order the medications you need.
James spent the better part of the last decade studying and writing about the physiology of sleep and its correlations with dreams. He studied various drugs, natural substances, and hallucinogens that can impact the intensity and frequency of dreams.
For two years, he busted dietary supplement scams, analyzing various performance-enhancing compounds, nootropics, etc.
