AboutMark Behar Expertise Almost any question or concern about sexually transmitted infections, abnormal Pap smears, anal cytology (anal "Pap smears"), gay men's health issues.
There is no such thing as “d/d free” or “clean” (free of infection), so why do so many of us deceive ourselves into thinking that some people are indeed totally free from a potentially infectious disease, like HIV, herpes, hepatitis, syphilis, chlamydia, warts, gonorrhea, etc., just because they say so? Clinical laboratory tests are not perfect, and having a “negative” or “nonreactive” test does not mean that a person is free from infection. Perhaps at the moment the test was taken, the person was uninfected; or, perhaps, the test wasn’t sensitive enough to detect presence of the infection. There is really no way that anyone can determine that they are truly “disease free,” and there are over a hundred of infectious conditions that can be spread without your knowing anything.
Rather than trying to “prescreen” or “serosort” a potential sex-mate with deceptive questions that are impossible to know by today’s technologies, a wiser option may be to consider everyone infected with something, and either use appropriate protective measures (“safer sex”), or accept the responsibility and conseqences of possibly “catching” something from someone who’s hotter than expected (pun intended!).
There is much research that supports the contention that an HIV positive person reliably taking HIV medications, and having an undetectable viral load, presents a lower risk for transmission of HIV than people who may think or say they are HIV negative, but are not. Food for thought!
Experience Family Practice PA since 1981;
Volunteer Clinician for Brady East STD (BESTD) Clinic, Milwaukee, since 1977; answer STD questions submitted to their web site.
Professionally lectured at national and regional Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner conferences, and at national gay & lesbian health conferences on topics including HIV/AIDS, herpes, hepatitis, STDs, human papilloma virus (the cause of venereal warts), abnormal Pap smears, gay and lesbian health issues, among others.
Organizations Co-Founder, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Gay Physician Assistant Caucus of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Inc.;
Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants;
American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP); Board of Directors, National Association of Black and White Men Together: A Gay, Multiracial Organization for All People (NABWMT)
Publications Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (JAPA)
Education/Credentials Physician Assistant Certified, since 1982;
Masters in Physician Assistant Studies;
Colposcopy Recognition Award, American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP);
Awards and Honors Colposcopy Recognition Award (CRA), from the American Association of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology;
Distinguished Fellow, American Academy of Physician Assistants;
Fellow, Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants
Past/Present Clients Brady East STD Clinic, Milwaukee, WI
Question I recently had sex for the first time without using protection, I have taken the pill and am waiting for the results of STD testing but I have now found that I have a red itchy sore vagina. Could this be caused by an STD? Or be caused by having sex?
aged 14, Birmingham UK
Answer Hi Kat,
A red, itchy, sore, vulva (external lips and opening of the vagina) is frequently due to a yeast infection, but can be due to sexually transmitted infections such as herpes, or trichomonas. These may require prescribed medications from a doctor.
What "pill" did you take? The pill for vaginal yeast infection? The birth control pill? The morning after pill?
Sex without protection is very, VERY UNWISE, not just because of the possibility of getting a sexually transmitted infection, some of which are difficult or impossible to cure (herpes, HIV infection which is associated with AIDS, HPV/wart virus which is associated with cervical cancer), but also getting pregnant, which can screw up your life for at least 20 years (the time it takes to raise a baby to adulthood and independence).
Don't you want the best for yourself? The foundation for getting to be "the best" at almost anything is formal education-- through school and self learning. Sex at an early age resets certain nervous circuitry, when the nervous system (essentially, your brain) is still growing and forming, much like drinking alcohol or smoking tobacco or crack cocaine. It's tough to spend time on your own self improvement and education if you are worrying about sex, your boyfriend, what he thinks of you, what you can do to please him, etc.
