Disease | Planned Parenthood

Being sexually active exposes a person to risks involved with having a sexual lifestyle. Pregnancies, infections and diseases contracted through having sex are some of the risks that are taken. When a person contracts a sexually transmitted disease, they can alter the quality of their life, routine and perhaps have to even change their lifestyle to accommodate dealing with their new health status.

Although sexually transmitted diseases are difficult to deal with, they are not to be taken as a life sentence for the person who suffers from them. The diagnosis does not have to become a permanent part of their lives, but can be managed well enough so that they can lead a degree of normalcy everyday.

There are things that a person can do however to avoid contracting a sexually transmitted disease and altering their quality of life and their everyday routine. Some things include:

- Managing the number of sexual partners that they have. Be selective in the choices of sexual partners. Don’t have random sex with multiple partners. Know your partners.

- Always use protection of some kind during sex, preferably condoms. They are very effective in helping to avoid sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies.

- Always visit the doctor for scheduled check-ups and routine bloodwork. Know your body and what’s going on with it by asking questions and staying abreast of any changes and developments.

- Inquire of your sexual partners about their past sexual history and any other partners that they may have been with. Inquire about any past illnesses or sexually-related infections or other diseases. Ask and expect honesty, but also keep yourself protected as well.

You can enjoy a sexually-fulfilling lifestyle void of diseases by being proactive and knowledgeable on the subject. By taking good care of yourself both physically and mentally, you will certainly appreciate it in the long run.

That’s because once a health care provider knows what’s in a patient’s history, he or she can better assess what risks the current patient has for those, and other health issues. It also helps the provider look out for early warning signs of disease.

There’s even a website that helps people create their own family health portrait, kind of like a family tree, except it includes Great-grandfather Oscar’s cause of death and Aunt Mildred’s diabetes instead of their places of birth and death. The website is completely private, and allows users to print out their family health trees to keep for their own records, or to share with a doctor.

Even if someone doesn’t know much about his or her family health history, from a doctor’s perspective, every bit helps. Imagine the difference in a doctor’s care or instructions if he knows his female patient’s mother died of breast cancer when she was in her late 30s.

For those who prefer not to use the internet, a couple of phone calls or visits to siblings, parents or relatives should allow you to compile a family health history of your own to take to every doctor’s visit. It is recommended to keep this compilation of records in an organized, safe place with other documents related to health, like insurance.

It obviously won’t act as a crystal ball for your future health problems, but talking to your relatives might identify trends you and your family didn’t realize existed.

Knowing the history of your family’s health problems can help you stay healthy and maybe even save your life…that’s according to health experts and the US Surgeon General. The federal government has created a program called the “My Family Health Portrait.” That’s a way for Americans to research and document the illnesses, diseases, longevities and physical ailments of their ancestors and relatives. Doing so can lead to a healthier you.
That’s because once a health care provider knows what’s in a patient’s history, he or she can better assess what risks the current patient has for those, and other health issues. It also helps the provider look out for early warning signs of disease.
There’s even a website that helps people create their own family health portrait, kind of like a family tree, except it includes Great-grandfather Oscar’s cause of death and Aunt Mildred’s diabetes instead of their places of birth and death. The website is completely private, and allows users to print out their family health trees to keep for their own records, or to share with a doctor.
Even if someone doesn’t know much about his or her family health history, from a doctor’s perspective, every bit helps. Imagine the difference in a doctor’s care or instructions if he knows his female patient’s mother died of breast cancer when she was in her late 30s.
For those who prefer not to use the internet, a couple of phone calls or visits to siblings, parents or relatives should allow you to compile a family health history of your own to take to every doctor’s visit. It is recommended to keep this compilation of records in an organized, safe place with other documents related to health, like insurance.
It obviously won’t act as a crystal ball for your future health problems, but talking to your relatives might identify trends you and your family didn’t realize existed.

The Dangers of Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Know Your Family Health History

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