There are certain topics that all new couples avoid. Previous relationships and psycho exes are a few taboo subjects that immediately spring to mind. However, a conversation about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) is a conversation that every new couple HAS to have. In particular, you should ask your new partner to take a sexual health test before you jump in-between the bed sheets. Asking your partner to do this doesn’t have to be weird; in fact if you are open and honest with each other from the start, this should set the tone for the rest of your relationship. It will also avoid any unpleasant surprises cropping up as your relationship progresses, such as the transmission of a Sexually Transmitted Infection. Below are a few tips how to ask your partner for a sexual health test without making it weird.
This way it avoids your new partner feeling self-conscious, or assuming that you believe they are dirty or have previously slept around. By offering to get tested too, you are showing them that you value their protection against Sexually Transmitted Infections just as much as you want them to value your own protection.
Many people wrongfully believe that Sexually Transmitted Infections are rare, or that they can only be spread through penetration during sex. However, recent news has revealed that Sexually Transmitted Infections are on the rise and are as common as the flu. Such infections are spread via contact with infected body fluids such as blood, vaginal fluids, or semen (also via cold sores!) – all of which you can be exposed to through normal body to body contact, vaginal, anal or oral sex.
I know scary right? Even though your boyfriend’s penis or your girlfriend’s vagina might look normal, this doesn’t mean that they don’t have a Sexually Transmitted Infection lurking down below. This is why it is so important to ask your partner to be tested- for their sake and for your own. Also if untreated, Sexually Transmitted Infections can lead to serious long-term health problems – something you definitely want to avoid.
It is well known that if you have something on your mind, it can impact your ability to perform in the bedroom, and your ability to get in the mood. Explain to your partner that if they get tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections, it will put your mind at ease and allow you to let loose in the bedroom, leading to more intense, steamier and regular sex- woo hoo!
If your new partner is the person that you think they are and if they feel as strongly about you as you think they do, then they will respect your wishes to have a sexual health test without hesitation. If they don’t respect your request, then maybe they aren’t the right partner for you, and maybe your relationship might not last long-term.
Getting tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections has never been simpler. There is no excuse not to be tested. There is the option to visit a clinic or your local GP, or to use a self-test kit from the safety and privacy of your own home. Most tests only require a urine sample or a self-taken swab for a woman. However, testing for HIV and syphilis do require a blood sample, but again this can be done quickly and fuss free.
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