LOS ANGELES, Jan. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As we're into the new year, myLAB Box, the first at-home sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing service, today reminds the public to be mindful of the following tips to ensure a sexually healthy 2019 that will help lower the risk of contracting an STD or sexually transmitted infection (STI).
2018 was the year of health trends. Be it the alternative milk, activity trackers, or CBD, what seemed to stick was the idea that first and foremost people need to take better care of themselves. Still, one key aspect of healthcare was often left on the sidelines - sexual health.
It's no secret that the growing popularity of dating apps, for example, has impacted the way we meet, date and hook up. One other consequence seems to be a similar trend in the rise of STD infections. The CDC's latest reports confirm that infections such as Syphilis, Gonorrhea, and Chlamydia are at an all-time high in the U.S.
With the start of the New Year, we all make new resolutions. Whether it is to get a better job, run more or anything else, it is no wonder January is also dubbed Self-Love Month but almost symbolically it is also Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Perfect time to think about our sexual health and make one more resolution - staying safe.
No doubt the new trends in healthcare and life will also affect the way people choose to address their sexual health and personal hygiene. Taking this into consideration, here are our top tips for ensuring a sexually healthy 2019:
1. Don't let the ghosts of relationships past haunt you in 2019. When a relationship is over, people will tend to carry the feelings into the next relationship, which could potentially cause trouble for the new partner. People need to acknowledge the loss but learn to let go of the past so that you're able to trust another person and to give the new relationship a chance to flourish.
2. Don't assume all STDs have symptoms. Please be mindful, as many as 80% of individuals infected with an STD may exhibit little to no symptoms. Symptoms may also take several months to develop from the time the infection occurs. The only way to know for sure is to test before each new partner and to practice safe sex in between. We've prepared an STD Symptoms Guide for Men and Women, which you can visit here.
3. Oral is not as safe as you think it is. A new STD on the scene, N. meningitidis, can potentially be transmitted to partners through oral sex, deep kissing or other kinds of close contact that transmit infected droplets. Approximately 5 to 10 percent of adults likewise carry N. meningitidis in the back of the nose and throat.
4. Many STIs manifest as the flu. Welcome to flu season where STIs and STDs disguise themselves as flu-like symptoms as normal body ailments. If you're sexually active and are feeling fatigue, fever, nausea, headaches, vomiting, you should get tested to see if you have an STI or STD. What you think could be the flu can end up being something else.
5. Remember to get tested. It's natural to get nervous about testing. myLAB Box offers quick and confidential tests that can be paid for out-of-pocket (and for about half of the price you would pay out-of-pocket at a doctor's office). These tests take five minutes to complete and are shipped in discreet packaging. You can take them any time and any place. If you live in one of the many states that offer telemedicine, and most do, you can even speak with a doctor and get prescribed your treatment right over the phone. It's simply the easiest and most convenient way to be tested.
"With this new news about new strands of STDs emerging, now more than ever, it's important to focus on your sexual health. Starting the new year with a clean slate for love & sexual health will put you in a better position to be open to healthy relationships," said Lora Ivanova, Co-Founder & CEO at myLAB Box. "At myLAB Box, we're constantly on the lookout for ensuring that sexual health is part of the daily discussion and to reminding everyone to take care of themselves. With these five reminders, we hope to do our part to help decrease the STD rates in the country by continuing to offer even more comprehensive, affordable and easy to use STD test kits."
And as it's the new year, myLAB Box offers the "Gift of Safe" with myLAB Box Gift Cards. Available via this link, myLAB Box Gift Cards will show your loved one just how much you care. Perfect gift for special occasions, Valentine's as well as any of the following people in your life: College students going back to school; That special someone you want to get serious with; Your single friend who's dating online; Your reckless buddy who needs a sexy guardian angel. myLAB Box STI and STD at-home test kits start at $79 and are available via the myLAB Box website, or at retail partners Amazon, Target, and Walmart.
About myLAB Box
Founded in 2013, myLAB Box is the first company to offer a nationwide at-home screening platform for STDs. All myLAB Box tests are validated by fully licensed CLIA-certified myLAB Box lab affiliates with extensive experience in testing for infectious diseases. By offering testing, screening or testing services directly to consumers, myLAB Box is able to offer exceptional service at half the cost of conventional lab tests. From affordable screening to complimentary physician consultations for positives, every aspect of the myLAB Box service is designed to be safe, effective and efficient. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California. For more information, visit: http://www.mylabbox.com.
SOURCE myLAB Box
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