STDs can cause sores, sore feelings

Contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) often means suffering from more than chronic symptom flare-ups. Living with herpes, syphilis, chlamydia or another infection may mean untold anguish and difficulties with prospective partners, as experts recently told Salon.

Sociologist Adina Nack told the news source that a common cause of depression or anxiety in those with sexual illnesses is the surprise with which potential sexual partners receive the news that a person has an STD.

Nack said that part of the fault lies with those partners. She add that, given how widespread STDs are, people should all but assume that a new partner has one.

More than 6 percent of the entire U.S. population is thought to have at least one sexual infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

STDs like herpes and HIV are incurable and may entail years of disappointing talks with prospective partners. While it may be difficult, the CDC stresses that individuals who have a sexual infection should inform all recent and future sexual partners of the state of their sexual health.

For those who are unsure if they have an STD, online testing services may provide valuable medical information.

HIV-positive men and women are two and three times as likely to suffer from depression as the general U.S. population, respectively, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Alberta.