DAVIE, Fla. – The CDC estimates that roughly one in five people in the U.S. has a sexually transmitted infection and many may not even know it.
Nurse practitioner Elyse Roelans with CVS Minute clinic said not all infections are symptomatic, which is why it’s important for sexually active adults to protect themselves and get tested.
“Definitely gonorrhea and chlamydia seem to be our most common STDs, and luckily are treatable, but leaving those neglected, not getting tested, not getting treated in a timely manner for those infections, can lead to issues later in life affecting fertility, can lead to in women pelvic inflammatory disease, which is a very, very serious infection,” she said.
Roelans said the vaccine for HPV, human papillomavirus, provides vital protection for kids ages 11 and up since there is no cure for the infection that can also affect fertility later in life.
People at risk for HIV can take a medication called PrEP to prevent infection.
There’s also a medicine called PEP, which can be used in emergency situations within 72 hours of possible exposure to HIV.
Love those avocados
Also in today’s health news, if you love eating avocados, your heart may thank you.
Researchers have found that eating two or more servings of avocado per week was linked to 16 percent fewer cardiovascular events over a 30-year period.
One serving is just half an avocado, or 80 grams.
Researchers conclude that replacing certain fat-containing foods with avocado could lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.