Should I Get Tested For Stds

Should I Get Tested For Stds
7 Reasons Everyone Should Get Tested for STIs

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Elizabeth Boskey, PhD, MPH, CHES, is a social worker, adjunct lecturer, and expert writer in the field of sexually transmitted diseases.

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Verywell Health's content is for informational and educational purposes only. Our website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Ⓒ 2022 Dotdash Media, Inc. — All rights reserved

Verywell Health is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.

Matthew Wosnitzer, MD, is board-certified in urology. He is an attending physician at Yale New Haven Health System, Northeast Medical Group and teaches at the Frank Netter School of Medicine.

Sexually transmitted infections ( STIs ) are a fact of life for ordinary Americans. They can impact anyone who has sex, even those who are not high-risk.

STIs are common. You can't assume you're not infected just because you don't have symptoms. Many STIs are asymptomatic, so it's possible to have one and not know it. This is why regular STI screening is so important.

Not all healthcare providers will encourage their patients to get an STI test. This doesn't necessarily mean you should not opt for regular screening. This is especially important if you have multiple sexual partners or if your partner may be having sex with other people.

This article looks at some of the reasons why it is important to get screened for STIs.

"Virgin" doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. To some people, a virgin is someone who has never had vaginal intercourse. To others, a virgin is someone who has never had any type of intimate contact, including oral and anal sex.

Just because your partner has never had vaginal intercourse doesn't mean they can't have an STI. The following STIs are spread by skin-to-skin contact:

Other sexually transmissible conditions, such as oral herpes , may even be passed by casual affection between family members. Oral herpes is usually caused by HSV-1, while genital herpes is usually caused by HSV-2.

Many people with oral herpes are infected during childhood. The cold sores caused by HSV-1 can be spread to the genitals during oral sex. 1 HSV-1 is a less common cause of genital herpes than HSV-2, however.

Oral herpes is usually diagnosed based on its appearance. 2 If you develop symptoms of genital herpes after you've had oral sex with someone who identifies as a virgin, you may need laboratory testing such as a culture or urine test to confirm whether or not your symptoms are caused by HSV.

People who are married or in other mutually monogamous relationships often feel they don't need STI testing. This is true only if everyone in the relationship was screened for STIs before beginning a sexual relationship, however.

Many people with STIs don't know they're infected. This can cause relationship problems when symptoms appear years later. Screening before a sexual relationship begins can let everyone involved know where they stand and help avoid false accusations of cheating .

Some people don't bother getting tested for STIs once they're in a relationship and having unprotected sex. They may assume that it's too late to prevent an STI.

Not all STIs, however, are transmitted every time an infected person has sex. It's never too late to get tested or to start having safer sex.

No one wants to be diagnosed with an STI . It's much better, though, to know whether or not you have an STI. Once you know, you can seek treatment.

Remember, too, that certain STIs like HIV are much easier to treat when they're caught early . 3 There is even evidence that with early HIV treatment it may be possible to achieve a functional cure . 4

Many people don't get tested because they don't have symptoms. STIs do not always cause symptoms, however. Up to 70% of females with chlamydia, for example, do not have symptoms. 5

Being symptom-free is not a guarantee you don't have an STI. You can still pass an STI on to others even when you don't have symptoms. One of the best ways to avoid passing an STI on to your partner is to get an STI test and receive treatment if you need it.

An untreated STI can cause long-term health problems even when there are no initial symptoms.

In females, for example, gonorrhea and chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This disease can leave scars in the fallopian tubes, which can cause infertility or ectopic pregnancy. Ectopic pregnancy is a life-threatening condition where a fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus.

When caught early, many STIs can be treated before they can cause these kinds of permanent problems.

The best reason to get tested for STIs is that it encourages honest communication with your sexual partners about STI risks and safer sex . Unless you and your partners have been tested, there's no way to know if you have infections you need to disclose.

It's a good idea to play safe even in low-risk situations. It's also important to be able to make informed choices about your sexual health.

It's impossible to guess whether or not someone has a sexually transmitted infection. The best way to make an informed decision is through testing.

It's important to remember that testing is not always 100% accurate . Still, it's far better than relying on guesswork or assumptions.

Anyone can get an STI, even someone who has never had vaginal intercourse. That's why you and your partner need to be screened for STIs before you begin a sexual relationship.

It is possible to have an STI even if you don't have symptoms. Untreated STIs can cause relationship problems down the line and can even lead to infertility. The only way to know if you have an STI is to be tested. Once you know your status, you can begin treatment and reduce the risk of passing an infection along to your partner.

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American Sexual Health Association. Oral herpes .
Crimi S, Fiorillo L, Bianchi A, et al. Herpes virus, oral clinical signs and QoL: systematic review of recent data . Viruses . 2019;11(5):463. doi: 10.3390/v11050463
Ward AR, Mota TM, Jones RB. Immunological approaches to HIV cure . Semin Immunol . 2021;51:101412. doi:10.1016/j.smim.2020.101412
National Health Service. Symptoms: chlamydia .
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If you’re sexually active, you should be tested for STDs. After potential exposures, you may think it is best to get tested right away. But, there is actually a window period for STD testing. You can think of this window period as a waiting period, because once you’ve been exposed to or even infected with a STD, you won’t test positive right away.
Here at Infectious Diseases Tropical Medicine and Travel Clinic, we understand that this will be a difficult time for you. We want to help you determine the best time to make an appointment to see Dr. Choudhary for more information about STDs. Here are a few things you should know about STD testing.
If you’re sexually active and not in a long-term relationship, you should be tested for STDs on a regular basis. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers this general testing guide:
Also, sexually active bisexual or gay men should get frequent tests for HIV, up to every 3-6 months, and yearly tests for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.
If you think you’ve been exposed to any STDs, you need to be tested based on the window period.
Some tests detect the actual pathogen that causes the disease, while other tests are monitoring your body’s immune response or abilities to fight the pathogen. It usually takes longer to detect the immune response than the presence of the actual pathogen in your blood.
The length of the window period depends on the STD. If you suspect a particular STD, let Dr. Choudhary know which one, so he can help you decide the best time to be tested. He may also recommend that you get tested again later.
Here are a few guidelines based on specific diseases:
In as little as one day, chlamydia may show up in your system, but testing should be done at least five days after exposure. It is recommended you retest two weeks after treatment to make sure you are free of the infection.
You can be tested for gonorrhea six days after possible exposure and then again after treatment.
It can take up to seven weeks for hepatitis A to show up in your blood. There is no cure for hepatitis A, so no retesting needs to be done.
This disease takes 3-6 weeks to show up in your system. Most people don’t show any symptoms of the infection until at least three months after the initial infection. Like hepatitis A, there is no cure for Hepatitis B, so retesting isn’t needed.
This disease can take up to nine weeks to show up in your blood, and retesting is recommended three months after a positive test to confirm that you have it. Hepatitis C is treatable and can be cured.
There are two types of herpes — oral and genital — and both are very common. You can be tested anytime after six weeks from the date of exposure. You can’t cure herpes, but active flare-ups can be treated with medication.
If you are infected with HIV, your body will try to fight off the infection by producing antibodies. The blood test for HIV detects the amount of these antibodies in your system. It takes 1-3 months for your body to produce these antibodies before testing will be accurate. You should be retested after a positive test because false-positives can happen.
HIV is made up of cells known as ribonucleic acid. One lab test can find RNA in your blood within 11 days after exposure to the infection. Just like the HIV antibody test, false-positives can happen, so retesting is strongly suggested.
This STD can take up to six weeks after exposure to show up in lab testing. You will also need to be retested two weeks after completing treatment.
If you think you have been exposed to an STD or feel you should be tested for any other reason, call our office or book an appointment online today to see Dr. Choudhary.
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The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported in 2018 that around 20% of Americans had an STD . That means that, if you are sexually active, one out of five of the people you’ve had sex with probably had an STD. If you’ve been having unprotected sex, you should get tested for STDs as soon as possible.
According to the same CDC report, the most common STDs among Americans include:
While diseases like genital herpes (HSV-2) are non-fatal, HIV and some other diseases on the list can compromise long-term health. Check to find out if you are STD-free by contacting Rapid STD Testing for a 10 panel STD test today.
Many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) don’t show obvious symptoms until it’s too late. Don’t let that be your situation. By getting tested as often as possible, you can catch sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in their early stages and stop them from getting out of hand.
For instance, if you contract HIV and get tested while the disease is in its infancy, you can get treated and prevent the ailment from becoming full-blown AIDS. Other STDs may lead to these health complications if you don’t know your status and get treatment on time:
Knowing your status on time will also help you take measures to prevent infecting other people.
At Rapid STD Testing, we recommend getting an STD test every time you have unprotected casual sex. Also, the CDC recommends that you get tested every three to six months if you have multiple or anonymous partners.
Getting tested every time you have unprotected sex will not stop you from catching a disease. However, it will let you know when you have an STD so that you can get help before the disease causes lasting damage to your health. Also, if you know you have an STD, you can avoid making mistakes that might lead to your loved ones catching the illness.
Fortunately, you don’t have to look too far to find where to get tested for STDs. Our Rapid STD Test service allows you to order an at-home STD test and get your results online. It’s hassle-free and inexpensive, meaning you have no reason not to check your STD status today.
Be sure to get tested immediately if you notice symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection. The type of STI testing you should get will depend on your symptoms. For example, if you are experiencing any of the following, get tested for chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea:
Better yet, cover all your bases by getting tested for every possible STD.
What STD tests should you get if you have no symptoms but have had unprotected sex with multiple partners ? Get tested for these STDs:
According to the CDC, around 1.6 million new gonorrhea cases occurred in the U.S. in a recent year (2018). More than half of those cases were among people between 15 and 24 years old. Gonorrhea is an STD that infects mucous membranes in the reproductive tract. It can affect a man’s urethra and the uterus, cervix, urethra, and fallopian tubes in women.
Untreated gonorrhea can lead to male or female infertility. Most testing facilities check for gonorrhea by taking a urine test or penile or vaginal swab and assessing the sample in a lab.
According to the CDC, all sexually active women under 25 years old should undergo chlamydia and gonorrhea testing at least once a year. In the U.S., chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI, and in 2018, there were nearly 1.8 million cases.
Chlamydia is most common among women between the ages of 20 and 24 years old. Its symptoms include:
If you have multiple sex partners or a sex partner who has multiple sex partners, or similar risk factors, you should get a chlamydia test every year.
If you have multiple sex partners and do not practice safe sex, you should get tested for HIV at least every three to six months. At Rapid STD Testing, we also recommend getting tested for HIV if you:
The CDC advises that everyone between 13 and 64 years old undergo an HIV test at least once as part of routine health care. Note that HIV testing requires a blood test.
Syphilis is an STD that can cause serious health complications if you do not receive proper treatment quickly. According to Statista , syphilis in the U.S. is most common in men between 25 and 29 years old. In 2019, there were 129,813 new syphilis cases .
If you notice syphilis symptoms like painless genital sores, mouth ulcers, body rashes, or fever, you should get a syphilis test as soon as possible. You should also get tested if you recently had oral, anal, or vaginal sex with someone who has recently received a syphilis diagnosis.
Some types of HPV can cause cervical cancer, while others cause genital warts. Around 79 million Americans have HPV , and about 14 million people get infected each year. Many people don’t even know they have HPV, and the virus disappears on its own after a couple of years.
Male HPV testing usually involves a visual inspection or genital warts biopsy. Female HPV testing may involve a pap test. We recommend that women between 21 and 65 get tested every three years.
Herpes is a viral infection, and most people who contract it never experience symptoms. Those that experience symptoms could develop cold sores around their mouth if they contracted herpes simplex virus type 1. Developing genital sores usually indicates a herpes simplex virus type 2 infection. Get tested if you experience either or both symptoms.
According to Planned Parenthood, one out of six Americans has genital herpes . WebMD states that approximately one out of five women has genital herpes , while around one out of nine men has the virus.
The CDC recommends that every pregnant woman get a hepatitis B and C test during the early stages of pregnancy. If the test is positive, your doctor can take measures to prevent the infection from affecting the baby’s health. The CDC also advises that everyone born between 1945 and 1965 get a hepatitis C test.
While hepatitis A, B, and C are different, they have overlapping symptoms, such as fatigue, nausea, jaundice, lethargy, and fever.
Every STD requires a different type of test. For example, HIV testing requires a blood test, while chlamydia and gonorrhea require urine tests. At Rapid STD Testing, we offer convenient screening options, such as:
You can visit one of our FDA-approved testing facilities for your STD test. Since we have over 2,500 facilities spread across the U.S., you should have no trouble finding one that’s close.
We keep STD tests as painless as possible by using minimally invasive tactics to get the samples we need. Before collecting samples, we will ask s
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