What is Included in Standard STD Testing?

Sexually active people with multiple partners are often told to use protection when they have sex and to get regular STD testing, or sexually transmitted disease testing. Practicing safe sex and getting checked for STDs is essential because you can have a disease without knowing it. This puts your partners at risk of getting the disease and spreading it with others.

What happens during standard STD testing?

There is a common misconception that a doctor checks for STDs during a regular checkup. This is far from the truth. In most cases, your doctor does not perform STD testing unless you specifically ask for it.

Since there is no way to test for every STD, medical professionals usually test for the most common types of disease, which include gonorrhea, HIV and chlamydia. The STD testing covers anywhere from six to 14 STDs, depending on where you get the test taken.

Even though physicians test for the most common STDs, they do not test for herpes and HPV unless you exhibit symptoms of the diseases.

Testing for STDs

Gonorrhea and chlamydia

You should get screened for these STDs if:

• You are a sexually active female under the age of 25
• If you are a man in a same-sex relationship
• If you are a sexually active female over the age of 25 and are having sex with a new partner or multiple partners
• If you have been forced to engage in sexual activity against your will
• If you have HIV

The testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia is done either with a urine test or with a swab that is used to take a sample inside a woman’s cervix or a man’s penis. The sample taken is then analyzed by a laboratory to determine if you have either disease.

HIV, Hepatitis and Syphilis

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting STD testing for HIV at least once a year for sexually active people. Testing for Hepatitis C is recommended for people born between 1945 and 1965 because the people in that age group have higher rates of the disease.

You should request an HIV, hepatitis and syphilis test if you:

• Have more than one sexual partner or your partner has been with multiple people since your last HIV test
• Use intravenous drugs and share needles
• If you are a man in a same-sex relationship
• If you are pregnant
• If you have been forced to engage in sexual activity against your will

Genital Herpes

Herpes is a viral infection that can be transmitted even when you do not have the symptoms. If you notice any blisters or sores on your genitals, see a doctor for testing. If you are not having an outbreak, the doctor may be able to perform a blood test to check for the virus.

HPV

Some types of human papillomavirus (HPV) can lead to cervical cancer, and other types can cause genital warts. There is no HPV testing available for men, but women can be screened for HPV with a Pap smear. These tests require checking the cervix for abnormal cells.

When was your last screening?

STD testing is necessary because it helps to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and it also gives you and your partner some peace of mind. If you are sexually active and have seen a doctor for screening recently, visit our center for STD testing.

Call us today at (703) 743-7849 for more information from Millennium Medical Care Herndon.

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