stds: part of life

This section's got the 411 on the most common STDs floating around the gay community right now. It's just the basics though. If after reading it, you still have questions, kill two birds with one stone by getting an STD check up and your questions answered at the same time. The person who will examine you has expert knowledge; they see these things everyday.

Hopefully, the subject of STDs doesn't freak you out. If it does, print out this paragraph and read it as often as it takes until its wisdom sinks in. Ready? Here goes: We live in a world full of germs, bacteria and viruses. As humans, sometimes we can't avoid getting them. STDs are all natural ??? and it's not unnatural to get one. If being gay isn't a sin or shameful to you, then why buy into the crap that having an STD should be a dirty little secret? STDs are just a part of life.

What’s with reporting STDs?
In California, clinics are required by law to report certain infectious diseases, mainly syphilis, to the County and State health department. Although your personal information is attached to the diagnosis, the reporting process is highly confidential. The main reason this data is collected is to monitor trends of different diseases and plan appropriate responses to outbreaks or epidemics. If you’re really really concerned about confidentiality, you can always get tested at a city clinic and give your name as George Bush; no one will ask any further questions. If you go to your regular doctor, chances are they know your real name.

select

	chlamydia		scabies
	crabs		shigella
	gonorrhea		staph infections
	hep a & b & c		syphilis
	herpes		trichomoniasis
	intestinal parasites		warts