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Coping and support

By Mayo Clinic staff

It's traumatic to find out you have an STD. You might be angry if you feel you've been betrayed, or deeply ashamed if there's a chance you infected others. At worst, an STD can cut decades off your life expectancy, even with the best care in the world. Between those extremes is a host of other potential losses — trust between partners, plans to have children, and joyful embrace of your sexuality and its expression.

Here's how you can cope:

  • Put blame on hold. Don't jump to the conclusion that your partner has been unfaithful to you. One (or both) of you may have been infected by a past partner. If you were infected as a result of your partner's infidelity, the time to hash it out is after everyone who might be at risk is notified, tested and treated.
  • Be candid with health care workers. Their job is not to judge you, but to stop STDs from spreading. Anything you tell them remains confidential.
  • Keep things in perspective. Each year, millions of people acquire STDs. Safer sex could prevent many infections, but because sex is a biological necessity, it's also an opportunity for micro-organisms to spread and multiply. All you can do is stop making it easy for them.
  • Contact your health department. Although they may not have the staff and funds to offer comprehensive services, local health departments maintain STD programs that provide confidential testing, treatment and partner services. The public health officer or disease intervention specialist you work with may help you with referrals to community agencies for treatment of substance abuse, prevention of domestic violence and assistance with housing.
Prevention Treatments and drugs
References
  1. Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 31st ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: W.B. Saunders; 2007.
  2. Swygard H. Screening for sexually transmitted diseases. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  3. Holmes KK. Sexually transmitted infections: Overview and clinical approach. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.:  McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008.  http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=2893718. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
  4. Global strategy for the prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections: 2006-2015. Breaking the chain of transmission. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/stisstrategy/index.html. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
  5. Basic information: HIV. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic/index.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  6. CDC fact sheet: Genital herpes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/herpes-Fact-Sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  7. CDC fact sheet: Genital HPV infection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Hpv/hpv-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  8. CDC fact sheet: Syphilis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Syphilis/syphilis-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  9. CDC fact sheet. Chlamydia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Chlamydia/chlamydia-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  10. CDC fact sheet. Gonorrhea. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Gonorrhea /gonorrhea-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2006. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2006;55:2. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5511a1.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  12. CDC fact sheet: Bacterial vaginosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/bv/BV-Fact-Sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  13. CDC fact sheet. PID (pelvic inflammatory disease). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/PID/pid-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 20009.
  14. CDC fact sheet. Trichomoniasis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Trichomoniasis/trichomoniasis-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  15. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Shigella flexneri serotype 3 infections among men who have sex with men - Chicago, Illinois, 2003-2004. MMWR. 2005;54:820. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5433a2.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  16. Quick answers: Sexually transmitted diseases. McGraw Hill's Access Medicine. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aID=3271836. Accessed Feb. 5, 2009.
  17. Klausner JD. Screening guidelines for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3025000. Accessed Jan. 19, 2009.
  18. Swygard H, et al. Gonorrhea. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3025486. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  19. Ward H. Prevention strategies for sexually transmitted infections: Importance of sexual network and epidemic phase. Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2007;83:i43. http://sti.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/83/suppl_1/i43. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  20. Trends in reportable sexually transmitted diseases in the United States, 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats07/trends.htm. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
  21. Arrington-Sanders R, et al. Sexually transmitted diseases in adolescents. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3026189. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
  22. Wong W. Sexually transmitted diseases in men who have sex with men. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3026252. Accessed Jan. 19, 2009.
  23. Peterman TA. Partner notification and management. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aid=3026470. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  24. Klausner JD. The sexual history. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aid=3026901. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  25. Safer sex ("Safe sex"). Planned Parenthood. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/stds-hiv-safer-sex/safer-sex-4263.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  26. Reitmeijer CA. Principles of risk reduction counseling. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aid=3026470. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  27. Viral hepatitis: A through E and beyond. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralhepatitis/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
  28. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Antiretroviral postexposure prophylaxis after sexual, injection-drug use, or other nonoccupational exposure to HIV in the United States. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2005;54:1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5402a1.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  29. Kung HC, et al. Deaths: Final data for 2005. National Vital Statistics Reports. 2008;56:10. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr56/nvsr56_10.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  30. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Revised recommendations for HIV testing of adults, adolescents, and pregnant women in health-care settings. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2006;55:1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5514a1.htm?s_cid=rr5514a1_e. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.
  31. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Recommendations for partner services Programs for HIV infection, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydial infection. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2008;57:1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5709a1.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.

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Feb. 25, 2009

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