MYTH: Oral sex can’t cause STI.
FACT: No, oral sex can cause STI, mostly infections like gonorrhea, syphilis and herpes simplex.
MYTH: STD testing is embarrassing and it is a painful procedure.
FACT: STD test will be done by taking blood and urine samples. Simple as that. It will cause a little pain during pricking and withdrawing blood, otherwise a good venipuncture technique won’t cause you much pain. DTAP physicians hold a professional health practice, we don’t look at STD tests as your behaviour reflects.
MYTH: I can spread STD to my kids.
FACT: STD is a sexually transmitted disease which will transmit from one person to another person by unprotected sexual contact (oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex). STD doesn’t spread by carrying or playing with your kids.
MYTH: You can get STD from your handphone, toilet seats, or other stuff used by an STD positive person.
FACT: The route of transmission for STD are sexual contacts. Certain STD (HIV,syphilis,hepatitis B) can transmit by needle pricking, breastfeeding or pregnancy.
MYTH: You will die if you are STD positive.
FACT: In this new era, STD can be treatable with either antibacterial or antiviral to prevent progression of disease and complications. This will prevent you from dying.
MYTH: Having oral contraception can prevent getting a STI.
FACT: Taking a contraception pill can prevent pregnancy and regulates hormone level. It doesn’t not stop a STI from transmitting.
MYTH: Only multi-sexual partners get STI.
FACT: When one person gets STI, another person will get it. Doesn’t matter whether a single or multi sexual partner, the transmission can occur with sexual activity and or sharing a sex toy.
MYTH: Living a normal lifestyle is difficult for a STI person.
FACT: Having a STI in you doesn’t stop being living a normal life and healthy sexual life. Majority of people with STI live a normal life.
MYTH: STI will disappear on its own without treatment.
FACT: Definitely the answer is NO. Syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis is curable with antibiotics while HSV is preventable with antiviral drugs. HIV can be preventable with retroviral therapy. STI need medical and non-medical treatment by health professionals to reduce the risk of progression of disease. Any delay in treatment will put your life in risk.
MYTH: STD can present only once in life.
FACT: You can get STD more than once in life. Your body doesn’t not build immunity with STI except for Hepatitis B and HPV. If your partner is infected with STI and not treated, you are likely to get infection back and forth. You and your partner need to get treatment before having sex again.
MYTH: Sex in hot spring water will prevent from getting STD.
FACT: No. STD solely is a transmission from person to person direct sex contact. Even performing sex in the bath tub, hot spring or swimming pool will not protect you from getting STI. You might probably get other organism infections by ingestion which is diarrheal illness.
MYTH: It is 100 percent safe to use condom to prevent STD.
FACT: Consistent and correct methods of using condoms can lower the risk of getting STD and HIV but however it is not an absolute prevention against STI. You still can get STD.
MYTH: STD cannot transmit through linens, bed sheets and clothes.
FACT: Some STD can spread through clothes which are wet or contaminated. Those STDs are common to be Trichomoniasis(parasite), pubic lice (crab louse) and scabies.
MYTH: STD will occur in gay/lesbian and IVDU drug users only.
FACT: It doesn’t matter of your gender or sexual orientation, whether you have only one sex partner or multiple sex partner.
MYTH: I’m safe from STD after a course of antibiotics.
FACT: Antibiotics in this new era are very effective so that you are cleared from bacterial/protozoal and not a risk. Recurrency can occur if your partner is still unsure of STI status. Advisable to resume yourself from sexual activity until you are cured and tested negative after the repeat test after a few months.
MYTH: Once you are treated with medications, your immune system can against the disease.
FACT: You still can be infected with STI although you have been treated with medication.
