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Which STD Tests Should I Get ? And when ?

If you are sexually active, getting tested for STDs is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. Make sure you have an open and honest conversation about your sexual history and STD testing with your doctor and ask whether you should be tested for STDs. If you are not comfortable talking with your regular health care provider about STDs, there are many clinics that provide confidential and free or low-cost testing.

Below is a brief overview of STD testing recommendations:

  1. All adults and adolescents from ages 13 to 64 should be tested at least once for HIV.
  2. All sexually active women younger than 25 years should be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year. Women 25 years and older with risk factors such as new or multiple sex partners or a sex partner who has an STD should also be tested for gonorrhea and chlamydia every year.
  3. Everyone who is pregnant should be tested for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C starting early in pregnancy. Those at risk for infection should also be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea starting early in pregnancy. Repeat testing may be needed in some cases.
  4. All sexually active gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men should be tested:
    1. At least once a year for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Those who have multiple or anonymous partners should be tested more frequently (e.g., every 3 to 6 months).
    2. At least once a year for HIV and may benefit from more frequent HIV testing (e.g., every 3 to 6 months).
    3. At least once a year for hepatitis C, if living with HIV.
  5. Anyone who engages in sexual behaviors that could place them at risk for infection or shares injection drug equipment should get tested for HIV at least once a year.
  6. People who have had oral or anal sex should talk with their healthcare provider about throat and rectal testing options.

 

Genital herpes

Providers generally only recommend testing for genital herpes for people who have symptoms or other risk factors. But most people with herpes infection never have any symptoms but can still spread the virus to others. Your health care provider may take a tissue sample or culture of blisters or early ulcers, if you have them, and send them to a lab. But a negative test doesn't always mean you don't have herpes, especially if you have symptoms.

A blood test also may tell if you had a past herpes infection, but results aren't always reliable. Some blood tests can help providers see which of the two main types of the herpes virus you have. Type 1 is the virus that usually causes cold sores, although it can also cause genital sores.

Type 2 is the virus that causes genital sores more often. Still, the results may not be clear, depending on how sensitive the test is and the stage of the infection. False-positive and false-negative results are possible.

 

HPV

Certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause cervical cancer. Other types of HPV can cause genital warts. Many sexually active people get HPV at some point in their lives but never have symptoms. Most of the time, the virus goes away on its own within two years.

Regular HPV testing isn't recommended for men. Instead, health care providers may choose to test men who have symptoms, such as genital warts. A sample of the wart is removed and sent to a lab. In women, HPV testing involves:

  1. Pap test. Pap tests, which check the cervix for irregular cells, are recommended every three years for women between ages 25 and 65.
  2. HPV test. Women between ages 25 and 65 should have an HPV test alone or an HPV test along with a Pap test every five years if previous test results were within the standard range. Testing may take place more often for those who are at high risk of cervical cancer or those who have irregular results on their Pap or HPV tests.HPV is also linked to cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and mouth and throat. Vaccines can protect both men and women from some types of HPV. But they're most effective when given between ages 9 and 26.

 

Chlamydia and gonorrhea

National guidelines recommend yearly screening for:

  1. Sexually active women under age 25
  2. Women older than 25 and at increased risk of STIs — such as having sex with a new partner or multiple partners
  3. Men who have sex with men
  4. People with HIV
  5. Transgender women who have sex with men
  6. People who have been forced to have intercourse or engage in sexual activity against their will

Health care providers screen people for chlamydia and gonorrhea using a urine test or swab. Swabs are taken inside the penis in men or from the cervix in women. The sample is then studied in a lab. Screening is important, because if you don't have symptoms, you may not know that you're infected.

 

HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B/C

We encourage HIV testing, at least once, as a routine part of health care if you're between the ages of 15 and 65. Younger teens or older adults should be tested if they have a high risk of an STI.

National guidelines recommend hepatitis C screening for all adults ages 18 to 79. Vaccines are available for hepatitis A and B and are usually given at birth. Unvaccinated adults can be vaccinated if they are at high risk of getting hepatitis A or B.

If you have any of the following risk factors, talk to your health care provider about testing for HIV, syphilis or hepatitis:

  1. Symptoms of infection
  2. Positive test for another STI, which puts you at greater risk of other STIs
  3. Having more than one sexual partner (or if your partner has had multiple partners) since your last test
  4. Intravenous (IV) drug use
  5. Men who have sex with men
  6. Being pregnant or planning to become pregnant
  7. Being forced to have intercourse or engage in sexual activity against your will

Your health care provider tests you for syphilis by taking either a blood sample or a swab from any genital sores you might have. A lab specialist studies the sample in a lab. Your provider also takes a blood sample to test for HIV and hepatitis.

 

How soon can you be tested after a risky interaction?

Every STD has its own incubation period. For some STDs, the body begins to produce antibodies and symptoms in as little as a few days. For others, it can take weeks or months for symptoms to appear.

 Here are the ranges of incubation periods for some of the most common STDs.

 

Benefits of early detection and treatment

If you think you may have an STD, it’s important to stop engaging in sexual activity and seek treatment. Early detection and treatment of STDs plays an important role in stopping the transmission of STDs between yourself, your sexual partners, and their sexual partners. In some cases, it can even save your life.

Some of the potential risks of untreated STDs include:

  1. pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility in women, from untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea
  2. cervical cancer in women, from untreated HPV
  3. pregnancy and birth-related risks, from untreated bacterial STDs, HIV, and hepatitis B
  4. organ damage, dementia, paralysis, or death, from untreated syphilis

Taking care of your sexual health is important. Not everyone will voluntarily disclose their STD status to you. You can take control of your sexual health by asking questions, screening new sexual partners, and having open and honest discussions about sexually transmitted diseases.

 

 

Please contact our Nicosia or Kyrenia branch to have your test done in Northern Cyprus.