STDs
The K Health Guide to Safe Sex: STI and Pregnancy Prevention
January 3, 2020
Symptom Guides > STDs > The K Health Guide to Safe Sex: STI and Pregnancy Prevention

by
Dr. Jennifer Nadel
Dr. Jennifer Nadel is a board certified emergency medicine physician and received her medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine. She has worked in varied practice environments, including academic urban level-one trauma centers, community hospital emergency departments, skilled nursing facilities, telemedicine, EMS medical control, and flight medicine.
If you’ve been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI), it can be scary, and some may feel stigmatized. However, STIs are incredibly common–in fact they’re the most commonly reported type of infection in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that half of sexually active people under the age of 25 have at least one STI in their lifetime. While young adults under the age of 25 account for about half of the roughly 20 million new cases of STIs in America each year, anyone who is sexually active can contract an STI. Thankfully, there are effective treatments for many STIs, especially if diagnosed early. Here, we’ll discuss how to protect yourself from STIs while being sexually active. We’ll also cover STI testing, how to have potentially difficult conversations about STIs, and what to do if you engage in an activity that puts you at risk for STI.
In this article we’ll explore:
"Some sexual health professionals prefer the term “safer sex,” to “safe sex,” as all sex carries some risk, whether it be of infection and/or pregnancy, even if precautions are taken."
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by
Dr. Jennifer Nadel
Dr. Jennifer Nadel is a board certified emergency medicine physician and received her medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine. She has worked in varied practice environments, including academic urban level-one trauma centers, community hospital emergency departments, skilled nursing facilities, telemedicine, EMS medical control, and flight medicine.
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