Statistics show that two million people will be diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease in the United States this year. And South Carolina has the third highest number of cases of all 50 states.
In this WLTX interview, Dr. Samantha Morton, OB/GYN at Carolina Women's Physicians, talks about some common misconceptions related to STDs - and separates fact from fiction.
According to Dr. Morton, one of the reasons there is a high number of sexually transmitted diseases may be because the use of condoms has decreased. Secondly, she says many STDs such as chlamydia can be asymptomatic for years - someone could have them and be transferring them to sexual partners without knowing. It's also important to point out that the birth control pill will not protect patients from STDs. And, the HPV vaccine - designed to decrease the risk of cervical cancer - will not protect someone from contracting other STDs. Many times, STDs can be treated with antibiotics - but patients can still contract them again.
If you have questions about STDs, speak with your doctor.
For more information, visit the Carolina Women's Physicians website.
