Knowing...

Contrary to the popular belief that "ignorance is bliss" I have to say knowing is beautiful.

So I FINALLY went and got my results of the STD test I took like 3 weeks ago. Part of the reason I aint gotten it before was lack of time…. But fear of knowing was a factor as well. I was talking to a friend of mine about the situation and she insisted that I had nothing to worry about. True, I have never had unprotected sex; true I hadn't been with any high risk partners, and NO, I don't use drugs or share needles. But I was as worried as anyone else would be.

At the beginning of the semester there had been a lot of forums and discussions on STD's and HIV's and the stats were alarming. Yeah, condoms are highly effective at protecting most STD's a pregnancy. Here are some stats I found off of a GA Tech website:

Statistics

The following statistics are from the fact sheet "The Truth About Latex Condoms," developed by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S. (SIECUS).

1. Condoms are 98% effective when used correctly.

2. The average failure rate for condoms is 12%: reflective of people who do not use them properly or do not use them every time they have intercourse.

3. Laboratory tests show that neither sperm, which has a diameter of 3 microns, nor STD-causing organisms, which are a quarter to a ninth the size of sperm, can penetrate an intact latex condom.

4. If there is a leak in more than 4 per 1,000 condoms, the entire lot (approximately 5,000) is discarded.

OK, so if I have protected sex 100 times with a person that has an STD, does that mean I should get it twice? I don't know about ya'll but that 2% is enough reason for me to worry. Do you realize how much your life will (should) change if u found out u had HIV? Not to mention all the skin-to-skin STD's. Condoms are only 27% effective for those. And ORAL SEX? Who uses a condom for that?

So yes…I had a decreased chance of catching something but I still HAD reason to worry. Not that I didn't trust my partners…I don't trust who they been with. So, like I said knowing is beautiful, and I know that I am STD free.