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" Think you can&amp;#039;t get a sexually transmitted disease (STD)? Think again. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, STDs are among the most common infectious diseases in the U.S., affecting more than 13 million men and women each year.  Here, the  STD facts you need to know:    Anyone can contract an STD, but women are more likely to catch one than men. STDs often don&amp;#039;t have symptoms, so an infection can fester or spread and lead to complications, especially in women. If you think you have contracted an STD, you should see your doctor right away to get tested, especially because you may pass it on to another person without realizing it. Nearly two-thirds of STDs occur in people 25 and younger. The rate of STDs is rising, in large part because more people are sexually active at an earlier age. In women, some STDs can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can scar the reproductive organs and cause infertility and/or ectopic pregnancy, a potentially dangerous condition in which the fertilized egg gets implanted outside of the uterus.   Click here for information on 11 of the most common Sexually Trasmitted Diseases  Lower Your Risk  Luckily, there are things you can do to dramatically lower your risk of contracting an STD:   Always use a condom and use it correctly. The male and female condoms are the only contraceptive methods that offer protection against STDs.  Before you stop using condoms, make sure both you and your partner are monogamous and disease-free.  If you&amp;#039;re at risk for contracting an STD, get checked regularly by your doctor, especially if you have a new sexual partner. A check-up will include a blood test and a visual check of the vaginal and anal areas.  Call your doctor if you notice any of the following symptoms: a lesion or sore around or near your genital/anal area; pain or burning during sex or after urination; acute vaginal itching or any unusual discharge. Don&amp;#039;t be afraid to see your doctor for a check-up even if you have no symptoms but feel like you might have been exposed to an STD.  If you&amp;#039;re having sex with a new partner or someone one you&amp;#039;re not certain is 100 percent disease-free, you may want to skip sex during your period; even with a condom, as it can increase your susceptibility to infection. Don&amp;#039;t douche -- it actually removes friendly bacteria in the vagina, making you more likely to contract an STD.   Click here for information on 11 of the most common Sexually Trasmitted Diseases  If You Contract An STDSee your doctor immediately for treatment. If you&amp;#039;ve contracted a bacterial STD, you will probably receive a prescription for antibiotics. Make an appointment to see your physician after you&amp;#039;ve finished your entire course of medication to get a check-up and confirm that the infection has cleared up. If you&amp;#039;ve contracted a viral STD, your doctor will dicuss the various treatment options (a viral STD can be controlled, but not cured). Tell all current and past sex partners that you have an STD and urge them to see their doctor.Don&amp;#039;t have sex while you&amp;#039;re being treated for an STD.If you&amp;#039;re breastfeeding, give your baby infant formula instead while you&amp;#039;re being treated. Click here for information on 11 of the most common Sexually Trasmitted Diseases  Buying CondomsBuy latex condoms, not those made of animal skin. Polyurethane condoms can be used by men who are allergic to latex.Use only new condoms. The package should be sealed until you are ready to use it and the condoms should be stored in a cool, dry place. Check the expiration date before buying or using a condom.Opt for lubricated condoms, which may be less likely to break during vaginal or anal sex. Also, don&amp;#039;t use novelty condoms (glow-in-dark, etc.). The package should always say that the condom is designed to help prevent STD transmission.If you use a lubricant, buy only water-based products such as K-Y Jelly or Astroglide. Oil-based lubricants will damage latex, so don&amp;#039;t use baby oil, shortening, lotions, or petroleum jelly.For vaginal sex, use a condom with spermicide or a regular condom in combination with spermicidal cream, foam, or jelly. This can help ward off STD-causing bacteria or viruses. However, some women may have a sensitivity to nonoxynol-9, the active ingredient in spermicide. For anal sex, use a generous amount of lubricant on the condom and in the anus. Never use a spermicide for anal sex, since it may harm the delicate tissue inside the anus, which can increase the risk of contracting HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Click here for information on 11 of the most common Sexually Trasmitted Diseases  How to Use a Condom  Check the condom after you open the package; if it appears to be damaged, use another one.  Unroll the condom on the erect (hard) penis. Men who are uncircumcised should first pull the foreskin back before unrolling the condom on the penis.  If you&amp;#039;re using a condom with a tip at the end to hold the semen, hold the tip of the condom between the thumb and forefinger to squeeze out the air, then unroll the condom with the other hand until the entire penis is covered. If the condom does not have a tip at the end, create one by squeezing the end of it just enough to leave some room at the end.  Remember to use only water-based lubricants on latex condoms. Place the lubricant on the outside of the condom. For anal sex, be sure to place additional lubricant inside the anus.  Hold the condom at the base of the penis if it feels like it might slip off during sex. If it does, stop immediately, pull out, and put on a new condom.  After sex, hold the condom at the base of the penis and withdraw slowly, while still erect, to prevent any fluids from passing from one person to the other (once the penis is flaccid, the condoms could slip off easily and remain inside the vagina).  Throw used condoms away immediately. Use a new condom every time you have sex.  Special Tip for Safer Oral Sex: When performing oral sex on a man, latex condoms can reduce the risk of transmission of HIV and other STDs. For oral sex on a woman, create a barrier between the mouth and the vagina using plastic wrap or a condom that&amp;#039;s been cut along the side and flattened. These same barriers can also be used to make oral-anal sex safer. (Source: American Social Health Association)  Click here for information on 11 of the most common Sexually Trasmitted Diseases   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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