Unprotected sex can happen in the most unexpected places. In fact, reports show that 50-72% of people have admitted to sleeping with those they just met. Even though it’s exciting, these encounters carry a high level of risk to your health.
So if you have forgotten to use contraception or if you just go with a spur of the moment decision, and neglected its importance, the risk of getting sexually transmitted infections (STIs), like chlamydia, will be great. What’s more, there’s also the high probability of getting pregnant, which presents another round of problems altogether.
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- STD Symptoms Felt By Women
- STD Symptoms Felt by Men
- Emergency contraception
- Doing STD Tests
- Precautions
- Other Tips and a Recap
Sexually Transmitted Infections
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Most people might not feel any impact after an unprotected sexual encounter, but some may experience symptoms right after. Here are common symptoms that can cause discomfort for both men and women. [1]
Symptoms Felt by Women
- Unexplained bleeding
- Pain experienced during or only after sex or both
- Pain felt when urinating
- Discharges that seem unusual
- Some itching felt around the anus or the genital areas
- Sores or rashes that can be felt around the anus or the genital areas
Symptoms Felt by Men
- Bleeding in the male reproductive organ
- Discharges experienced from the penis
- Pain experienced during ejaculation
- Tenderness felt around the testicles
- Sores or rashes being felt around the anus or genital areas
Having a number of those symptoms should already be a cause for concern. If you feel something related to those mentioned symptoms above, it is best to have yourself checked right away. The sooner you undergo the proper medical checkups, the greater your chances of detecting any health issues. After that, you will also be able to get the right medications as early as possible.
So, even if what you have is not any kind of STI, such can be indicative of other health concerns that need to be treated right away.
If you are not feeling any problems at all, you still need to make sure you haven’t contracted any STIs. In fact, 50% of men and around 70-80% of women have Chlamydia, but they are not aware of any symptoms.
Chlamydia is a type of infection caused by the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis and the symptoms can only develop after a few weeks. If it is left untreated, it can lead to subfertility.
Therefore, it is important to have yourself tested for STIs because serious complications can develop, especially when you expect it the least. Women with Chlamydia or gonorrhea who don’t undergo treatment will have bigger chances of developing pelvic inflammatory diseases. This may cause chronic pain, infertility, and miscarriage.
Taking Emergency Contraception (When to Take it and Where to Get it?)
Pregnancy can happen in the least expected moments. Even if you are practicing the withdrawal method, or had sex using a particular position or at a specific time of month, you are not exempted.
Unprotected sex always comes with a pregnancy risk. The sperm can stay alive for up 5 days and fertilize the egg [2]. Just imagine that it only takes one sperm to get pregnant.
For a woman who had unprotected sex, but doesn’t want to get pregnant, she may consider having an emergency contraception. Basically, there are a couple of emergency contraception types, namely the emergency coil or IUD, as well as the emergency contraceptive pill, also known as the morning after pill.
The emergency coil requires a trained medical professional to fit one, but it can only prevent pregnancy effectively for up to 5 days after the unprotected sex. On the other hand, the morning after pill can be effective for up to 3-5 days, which depends on the type being used.
There is nothing to worry about getting an emergency coil fitted because they are offered for free at certain sexual health clinics.
At the same time, the morning after pill can also be acquired from such places, but they can also be purchased from most pharmacies near you. In fact, you can even buy it from Amazon.
available on Amazon
STD Testing: When, Where and How?
A lot of people don’t know where to get STD testing done after engaging in unprotected sex. It is also a common problem for people to decide which should be the perfect time to undergo STD testing.
Doctors recommend testing 3 weeks following the initial exposure. Then, a checkup is required for another 3 months after an initial diagnosis has been confirmed [3]. This will ensure you are being tested at the right time because different STIs can be detectable at various times.
Where To Test
If you are going to have yourself tested for STDs, choose the testing center nearest to you. If you live in the US you can use this website to find the nearest STD Testing Clinic. It might be necessary to set for an appointment when you want to undergo STD testing. These centers value privacy so there’s no need to worry about getting exposed.
Most of the clinics are focused on going above and beyond standard industry practices so as to give you the confidentiality and privacy needed. Likewise, the results would not be attached on the permanent medical file or sent to any insurance company. At the same time, the billing information will never be released to any third party.
Tests can vary from one condition to another, so it depends on which type of test you are going to take. For instance, there are no preparations required before the test if you are taking blood test for STDs, including:
- hepatitis A, B, and C,
- syphilis,
- HIV,
- genital or oral herpes.
However, if you are going to take a test that requires urine samples, including Chlamydia or gonorrhea, then do not urinate an hour prior to testing. After being tested for STDs, you will be required to wait 1 or 2 days for the results.
STD Home Testing Kits
These days it’s also possible to test yourself at the privacy of your home. There are different types of kits available, some test only specific disease (for example Chlamydia or Gonorrhea) and some cover a wider range of STDs. Usually you collect the sample by yourself, following provided instructions, and mail them back to the lab. In up to 7 days you should receive an email notification with the results.
Here is an example of one such kit which can be ordered online and can diagnose the following diseases: Chlamydia, Hepatitis C, Gonorrhea, HIV, Herpes simplex 2, Trichomoniasis and Syphilis.
Be More Careful Next Time
Taking care of yourself is key if ever you can’t avoid engaging in 1-night stands. In other words, you should use contraception and avoid unexpected results. Here are some popular methods.
Use Condoms Next Time
It is simple to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases or unwanted pregnancies. All you have to do is use condoms. At the same time, it is advisable to use dental dams when you are likely to engage in oral sex.
Facts about Condoms
- Overly small or big condoms can slip off or break when engaging in sexual intercourse. Make sure to pick the right condom for you, stock up and make them commonly available, so you can rest assured you are ready at all times.
- Condoms could also be damaged or pierced with fingernails, piercings or sharp objects. Make sure to put them on correctly and store them properly.
- Do not use oil-based lubricants because they can weaken condoms. If you are going to use lubricants, try to avoid oil-based products.
- Expiry dates of condoms must be one of the priorities because it can be less effective if it gets outdated.
Female Contraception
If you are in a monogamous relationship and STIs are not of your concern, but you don’t want to get pregnant, then you should use contraception. You can choose from a number of options, besides condoms, including the coil, the contraceptive pill, implant or injection, and a diaphragm with spermicide.
If Using Sex Toys
The use of sex toys can be a good experience for many sexual partners. However, sharing these toys can be a reason for spreading STIs. If you want to reduce the risks, try to avoid sharing such toys and don’t forget to wash them after a sexual encounter in order to reduce the risks.
Other Important Tips and Guides and a Recap
It might be so scary to wake up one morning as you figure out you had a 1-night stand with a person you only knew that evening. Here are some positive reactions you can do when you are faced with this dilemma.
Urinate after having sex
It is a fact that 80% of women who had UTIs engaged in sex 24 hours earlier. If you are faced with this type of problem, you only have to go to the toilet and urinate right after you had sex. This can lower the chances of acquiring UTIs because it can clear the urethra, as it removes bacteria with it [4]. In addition, drink lots of water so as to urinate often and cleanse your system.
Checking and testing for STIs
If you notice any changes to your anus or genitals, it means you have higher chances of having an STI. Symptoms may include discharges from the anus, penis, and vagina, aside from the pain during urination, ulcers, blisters, and warts in the genital area. [5]
The itchiness and irritation are just symptoms of an STI. There are testing kits available for those who would want to check for themselves. At the same time, you can seek the assistance of medical practitioners in your area so they will be able to test and treat any symptoms.
Pregnancy testing
There are pregnancy testing products you can use to test your condition within a week of having sexual intercourse. The accuracy rate of such a testing method is 99%. However, if you are in doubt, you can always schedule an appointment with your doctor, so your blood can be tested for markers.
Contraception methods
Common Contraception Methods
In order to determine the right contraception method that would work for you, it is important to know if you have a steady partner or you’re having casual sex. Likewise, you need to understand what type of person you are, either a well-organized person or a person who lives spontaneously. Deciding to get pregnant or not is also a factor to understand how you adapt to contraception when you begin to explore your sexuality.
Here are popular types of contraceptives you can use to protect yourself from STIs or unwanted pregnancies.
Long-acting reversible contraception. This method lasts for a long time, so you don’t have to remember it every single day or month. Such would include intrauterine devices (IUD) or implants under the skin lasting for about 3-5 years.
Hormonal contraceptives. Contraceptive pills come in 2 types, namely the combined oral contraceptive pill and the progestogen-only contraceptive pill.
Barrier methods. These methods include diaphragms, cervical caps, vaginal sponge, the female, and the male condoms.
Fertility awareness. It can also be useful to recognize the signs of fertility in a woman during her menstrual cycle. If you are a woman, this can be used to understand your menstrual cycle as well. Thus, you can use it to create a plan to get pregnant or avoid this whole thing from happening in the first place.
With proper knowledge, you can avoid facing the consequences of unprotected sex, ensuring good health and a happy sex life.
References:
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1. https://onlinedoctor.lloydspharmacy.com/blog/i-had-unprotected-sex/
2. http://americanpregnancy.org/getting-pregnant/fertility-window/
3. https://getcheckedonline.com/Pages/whenDoINeedToTest.aspx
4. https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/sex-life/a29506/peeing-after-sex-uti/
5. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sexually-transmitted-diseases-stds/in-depth/std-symptoms/art-20047081
