If I had a friend or loved one that I suspected of having an STD and they did not want to be tested I would try to approach the subject with extreme caution and sensitivity. I would sympathize with them about their condition and understand that what they were going through was embarrassing but explain that they need to seek medical help for their condition. Medical intervention is the only way they would know for certain if they truly had an STD, and it would be the only way they could seek help in treating it. I would remind them that medical personnel would treat them with the strictest confidence. They are trained professionals that only want to help. I would also try to help them understand that a lot of STDs can be treated and cured if caught early, so testing at the earliest time would be beneficial so that the STD did not progress into something worse or more invasive. If this loved one or friend was in a sexual relationship, I would encourage them to talk it through with their partner and see if they could go get tested together. This way, they would have a support system and not feel so afraid and they could both know of certain if they were infected. Even if the relationship was not sexual and there was no way that the STD could have be contracted from that partner, I would still encourage open communication between the two of them so that they both understand the risks they are taking when being intimate with one another.
I think mostly just showing love and support for the friend and helping them through the uncertainty and fear of contracting an STD is important. Hopefully, their partner or significant other would be supportive in this situation but it could turn out the other way. I could understand the person with the STD not wanting to tell their significant other out of fear, but they have to understand that their condition effects the entire relationship and if it was someone they should truly be with then that person will understand and support them.
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