Only YES means YES. How or with whom—it’s up to us Only YES means YES. How or with whom—it’s up to us. But if you make the choice to say yes to having sex...

Then YES means TEST—an STD test.

Why get tested? Because STDs are common. So common that 1 in 2 sexually active adults will get an STD by age 25. So if you are sexually active, STD testing is essential. It should be part of your regular healthcare routine.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly 20 million new STDs occur every year in the US. And about half of these are in young people ages 15-24. That’s 10 million STDs in teens and young adults.

Two of the most common STDs are chlamydia and gonorrhea. Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STD, with approximately 1.6 million cases reported in 2016. Young women ages 15-24 make up nearly half (46 percent) of these cases and face the most severe health consequences when chlamydia is undiagnosed. Left undetected and untreated, chlamydia (and gonorrhea) can cause a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) that can lead to infertility and ectopic pregnancy (a dangerous pregnancy occurring outside the womb).

Gonorrhea is is the second most commonly reported STD, with the highest rates among young people ages 15-24. Like chlamydia, gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and severe health problems in women when it is undiagnosed and untreated. According to CDC, 1 in 8 women with a history of PID experience difficulties getting pregnant

For this reason, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—or CDC—recommends that sexually active women under age 25 get tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea every year. It’s important to talk to a healthcare provider about your sexual health and history and find out which STD tests may be recommended for you..

So what do you need to know about testing. First off, testing is easy So what do you need to know about testing? First off, testing is easy. It’s typically quick and painless—it usually involves just a quick swab or pee in a cup. Testing can also be confidential—if you want to keep it to yourself, you can. No one needs to know. Testing is also inexpensive or even free. Most insurance covers STD testing and there are also lots of free clinics that be found by going to yesmeanstest.org.

If you test positive, you are not alone If you test positive, you are not alone. As you now know, millions of people test positive for STDs each year. Fortunately, chlamydia and gonorrhea infections can be treated with antibiotics. It is very important to finish all of the antibiotics that are prescribed to you. Your partner(s) should also be screened and treated. If you test negative, good news!

And don’t forget—you can also reduce your risk for getting an STD by using condoms consistently and correctly. That means every time you have sex—oral, anal and vaginal.

Campus Health Location Hours: So you know why you should get tested, what is all about and how testing works. But where do you get tested? You can start right here on campus at [insert campus-specific information here].

You can also find other clinics in the area at yesmeanstest. org You can also find other clinics in the area at yesmeanstest.org. Just enter your zip code to find free, fast and confidential testing near you.