In the US and all around the world, the rise of sexually transmitted diseases is a cause for public health concern. The CDC reports that the 8 most common STDs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B virus, herpes simplex virus type 2, HIV, HPV, syphilis and trichomoniasis) account for nearly 20 million new infections in the US each year.1 Getting the proper tests and treatment for anyone at risk is key to slowing the spread of infectious disease. With simple, discreet and cost-effective options available, getting tested should involve only the results, not shame or discomfort.
This brief overview of statistics affecting the US and around the world highlights how important it is to get screened, tested and diagnosed for STD diseases in order to stop their spread. Anyone at risk, including young women under the age of 25, bi-sexual men, and other men who engage in sexual activity with other men should be tested at least once a year. Any unprotected sex should be followed up 2-6 weeks later with STD testing.
Anyone with more than one partner in the last year is at risk and should consider STI testing. Most urgently, anyone who has been exposed or feels symptoms linked with common STDs should be tested as soon as possible. If this sounds like you, let STDtest.com help. We’re a confidential, fast and affordable STD testing service. You can set up a same-day appointment at a local lab nearby and choose from any of our flexible payment options. You will be notified of your results usually in three business days or less. Our medical team is available for follow up regarding your diagnosis, any questions you have and to prescribe treatment if appropriate and permitted by state law.
According to the CDC, it is recommended that all women under 25 and those women over 25 who exhibit risk factors should be tested for chlamydia every year. Many doctors recommend the NAAT (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test), a simple urine test
Your test will be administered at a CLIA-certified lab and your results will be delivered usually within three business days or less. If the test is positive, chlamydia is curable with antibiotics, like azithromycin. If left untreated, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) or cause issues with fertility.4
Patients infected with gonorrhea are at risk because it rarely presents with symptoms in both men and women. The easiest way to protect yourself and any of your partners is to get tested. If you have recently been exposed through unprotected sex or sex with multiple partners, getting tested about 2-6 weeks after exposure is ideal, especially if you are experiencing any symptoms (cloudy urine in men, UTI-like symptoms like frequency or burning during urination in women). To test for gonorrhea, a lab technician will collect a urine sample.
Your test will be administered at a CLIA-certified lab, and results will be delivered usually within three business days or less. For a positive result, gonorrhea can be treated with antibiotics. There have been reported cases of drug-resistant gonorrhea. Our doctors will connect you with the proper resources for your gonorrhea treatment. Leaving gonorrhea untreated can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women and epididymitis or even infertility in both men and women.5
The CDC reports that though syphilis has a simple cure, the complications of the disease can be very serious if not caught soon enough. If you know you have been exposed to the virus by unprotected sex or you are exhibiting symptoms, it’s important to schedule an STD test as soon as possible (the recommended window is 2-6 weeks after exposure for the most accurate results).
There are four stages of syphilis: primary, secondary, latent and late. The primary stage normally presents with a single sore, which is a sign to get tested before the disease progresses. A series of two blood tests is used to confirm a diagnosis. The first test is a rapid plasma reagin screen (RPR). If this test is positive, a treponemal pallidum test is run immediately after to confirm.6 The treatment for syphilis consists of either one or several shots of penicillin. Congenital syphilis is a serious and often fatal condition for children born to mothers infected with syphilis. To avoid this, it’s very important for women at risk to get tested in the first trimester, treated before delivery or to administer treatment to the newborn upon delivery.7
Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV). This STD is characterized by sores that can range from mild to painful. The test to diagnose herpes is an HSV-2 type-specific blood test. Should this blood test come back positive, there is no cure. However, the symptoms and the frequency of the outbreaks associated with genital herpes can be managed by medicine. A doctor-recommended combination of antiviral medication has proven helpful in cases of genital herpes.
Oral (HSV-1) and genital (HSV-2) herpes can also be transmitted to other parts of the body by touching sores when they are open. To limit the chance of transmission to other parts of the body, including the eye area, avoid touching sores. Despite myths to the contrary, herpes is not curable, but it can be treated very effectively.
Getting tested for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can involve one of two tests, the Early Detection or HIV Antibody. Both are blood tests. The HIV Early Detection test detects RNA of the virus. The HIV Antibody test, also known as the fourth generation combination test, looks for the both the production of HIV antibodies and the presence of the p24 antigen. RNA can be detected 4-10 days before antibodies and the p24 antigen. The Early Detection test is a better fit for more urgent cases (unprotected sex with an HIV positive partner), and the HIV Antibody test is used for more routine testing.
HIV has no cure, but the medical community has taken great strides in the past several decades to make the disease more manageable than ever. In addition to a continually evolving cocktail of drugs for those affected with HIV/AIDS, relatively new pre- and post-exposure pills (PrEp and PEP) are antiviral medications that are changing the way HIV is treated. Anyone at risk should get tested at least once a year, especially anyone with more or one sexual partner in the last year, unprotected sex, and members of the male gay and bisexual communities. Once the antibody blood tests are taken to confirm, a primary care physician or infectious disease specialist is essential in working with the patient in delineating a plan that works best for the individual.9
Sources:
1 CDC Fact Sheet – Incidence, Prevalence, and Cost of Sexually Transmitted Infections in the United States
2 2015 STD Treatment Guidelines
3 Reported STDs in the United States 2014 National Data for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis
4 CDC – Chlamydia Fact Sheet
5 CDC – Gonorrhea Fact Sheet
6 Syphilis Tests
7 CDC – Syphilis Fact Sheet
8 2015 Sexually Transmitted Diseases Treatment Guidelines – Genital HSV Infections
9 CDC – HIV Basics
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