Throughout Men’s Health Week, Planned Parenthood encourages men to take charge of their sexual health with regular checkups and testing for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. Regular checkups can help keep you healthy and can find health problems before they become serious.
Everyone deserves a sex life that is healthy, safe, and enjoyable. Getting comfortable talking with your partners about STIs, getting tested, and using protection are part of a healthy and empowered sex life.
All STIs are treatable, and many are curable. You can’t get treatment if you don’t know your status, and the only way to know your status is to get tested. Getting tested and practicing safer sex is a great way to take care of your health and that of your partner.
The truth is that not enough men get the checkups and preventive care they need. It can be easy to take our health for granted — but preventive care is an important part of keeping yourself and your partners safe, healthy, and happy.
Safety and pleasure go together. Looking out for your health and the health of your partner by using protection and getting tested regularly doesn’t mean sex can’t still be fun and sexy. Communicating about STIs and agreeing to use protection — like condoms and dental dams — can actually enhance your experience, as it can help you feel more relaxed.
Trans men need regular sexual health checkups too — which may include things like Pap tests, chest exams, STI testing and treatment, and birth control. You can get all of these services at Planned Parenthood.
Planned Parenthood is a leader in STI testing and treatment and one of the nation’s leading HIV testing providers. Each year, Planned Parenthood health centers provide more than 4.7 million STI tests and treatment, including more than 740,000 HIV tests. Between 2007 and 2017, there was a 42 percent increase in Planned Parenthood male patients!
Planned Parenthood is proud to see patients regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, income, insurance, or immigration status. Visit plannedparenthood.org to find a health center and make an appointment.
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