First Nationwide At-Home STD Testing Service Reminds College Students to Practice Safe Sex with Following Tips
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 - With millions of college students returning to school, the chances for sexual encounters increase, amidst a growing STI epidemic. According to the CDC, almost two-thirds of all reported cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea in the United States were among people aged 15–24. This risk is made even greater because having one of these STIs can increase the chances of contracting HIV.
Speaking of HIV, there’s a shocking amount of people who have never been tested. According to a report published in the journal Pediatrics, only one-third of sexually active young adults have ever been tested for HIV. That’s a lot of undiagnosed cases.
To that end, myLAB Box, the first nationwide at-home STD testing service, announced today tips for college students to practice safe sex:
A. Condoms. The condom is one of your best methods of defense against infection and unwanted pregnancies. When used correctly, they can offer a 98% chance of preventing pregnancy. While not perfect, latex condoms are also among the best ways to protect against many STIs.
a. Tips for Condom Usage:
- Only use latex condoms.
- Use a new condom for every act of vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
- Always check the expiration date on a condom. An expired condom can break easily, rendering it useless. Chances are, that condom that’s been in your wallet since freshman year may be one of them.
- If you feel the condom break at any point during sexual activity, stop immediately and put on a new condom. That may not set the mood you’re looking for, but you’ll be glad you did.
- Never “double-bag it.” This means wearing multiple condoms at once. Contrary to urban legend, twice the condom does not offer twice the protection.
B. Other Methods of Protection. There are other ways to protect yourself as you go back to school and back in bed. These include the birth control pill, the patch and the ring, all of which are prescribed by your doctor. All of these methods are designed to administer hormones to your body – via pill, a patch that is worn on your skin, or a ring that you insert vaginally – for 3 weeks at a time, with your period occurring in the 4th week.
These methods are great at stopping baby-making, which is great news for young people who may not be ready for parenthood. But these methods of birth control can still leave you exposed to a wide range of STIs.
C. Back to School, Back to Testing. Again, STIs are a serious health risk. Regular testing is the best way to consistently know your status. As the numbers of STIs increases, we all need to amp up our level of carefulness.
For example, HPV is shockingly common. Far more people than you might expect are living with this ultra-common STI. Just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s harmless, though. According to the CDC, HPV is responsible for nearly 91% of cervical cancers, 75% of vaginal cancers, 69% of vulvar cancers, 63% of penile cancers and 91% of anal cancers.
One of the smartest moves you can make for your sexual health is to get tested for HPV and other STIs. If you’re too nervous to go to a clinic, you can order an at-home STI testing kit and do the test right in your dorm room. It’s so easy that it leaves you with no valid excuses for not getting tested. It even comes in a discreet package.
D. Safe Sex Isn’t As Safe As You May Think. STIs are not only passed through intercourse. You can also contract them from oral sex and, in some cases, even from kissing. For example, herpes, chlamydia and gonorrhea are three infections that can directly affect your mouth or throat. It pays to educate yourself on the common signs and symptoms of the most common STIs. myLAB Box’s blog and FAQ page provide invaluable study material.
- Look Out for These Common STD Signs and Symptoms
- What To Do If There Isn’t an STD Testing Clinic Near Me
- Safe is Sexy: Understanding PrEP and HIV Prevention
- STDs Are Gross! Myth vs. Reality
- Safe Is Sexy: A Woman’s Guide to Sexual Health
- Why is Gonorrhea called “The Clap” and Why You Should Care
F. Test Like Nobody’s Watching. A lot of college students are nervous about testing. That makes sense. Teens and young adults are often too shy to go to a clinic or doctor’s office.
Even just the idea of the lab bills being reported on their parents’ health insurance seems mortifying. But that’s still no reason to avoid being tested.
myLAB Box offers quick and private tests that can be paid for out-of-pocket (and for about half of the price you would at a doctor’s office). These tests take five minutes to complete and are shipped in discreet packaging. You can take them anytime and anyplace. If you live in one of the many states that offers telemedicine, and most do, you can even speak with a doctor and get prescribed your treatment right over the phone for no extra charge. It’s simply the easiest and most convenient way to be tested.
If you schedule your tests along with arriving back to school, you’ll be in total control of your sexual health. It’s a win-win situation for any sexually active young person.
“When we’re talking about sex, the risk of a surprise pregnancy is what most people worry about. That said, you absolutely need to keep an eye out for sexually transmitted diseases and infections, too,” said Lora Ivanova, Co-Founder of myLAB Box. “Even though you may know your bedroom partners from class, that’s not the same thing as knowing their STI status. College is often a time when students experiment with their sexual activity, have multiple partners and dates, and play it a little loose with the rules. With as many as 80% of infections showing little to no symptoms, you’ll never know if someone is free and clear of STIs unless they’ve been tested. We hope these tips will be a good reminder to college students to practice safe sex.”
And to help college students everywhere take greater control of their sexual health, myLAB Box is offering a 20% discount for all of September with the following discount code – backtoschool2017. And for students with either a medical Flexible Savings Account (FSA) or a Health Savings Accounts (HSA) accounts, myLAB Box proudly accepts both FSA and HSA as payment options, making its service even more affordable and accessible for men and women in every state.
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 kits use FDA-approved technology and are validated by fully licensed CLIA-certified myLAB Box lab affiliates with decades of experience in testing for infectious diseases. By selling direct 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: www.mylabbox.com.
Media Contact
John McCartney
Wise Public Relations for myLAB Box
415.480.4059
mylabbox@wisepublicrelations.com