STD - STI TEST

Yes, getting treated for an STD does not mean that you are unable to contract the STD again.

Waiting periods differ for each STD. Let’s say you’ve recently had unprotected sex, and now you’re worried that you may have picked up a sexually transmitted disease (STD). With STD rates rising higher than ever before, this is a totally valid and legitimate concern. So what do you do? Getting tested would be a very smart decision, but you may be surprised to learn that you can actually test too early.

If you feel like you could have contracted an STD, your instinct may be to get tested immediately, but this can be a huge mistake. Testing too early can cause inaccurate results, possibly leading you to believe you’re STD-free when you’re really not. This is because each STD has its own unique "incubation period," which you must wait for in order to get accurate results. Like many things in life, timing is everything.

An incubation period is the span of time from when you first come into contact with an STD to when antibodies form to fight the STD. Tests look for the presence of these antibodies during testing, and if you do not wait until the incubation period has ended, you may not allow your body sufficient time to develop enough antibodies for them to show up in testing, causing a false-negative result.
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Even after you have waited for the incubation period to end, you may not see any signs or symptoms of the STD. Many STDs do not display symptoms at all or are so subtle that you could think you have a cold or a rash. Your symptoms come and go, but this doesn’t mean the STD has gone away. This is why it’s so important to get tested; there is simply no other way to be 100% sure of an STD diagnosis.

How long it takes for an STD to show up in testing is entirely dependent on the STD itself, how long its own incubation period is, and your own body’s immune response. You can test for some STDs, like chlamydia, only a day after potential exposure. Meanwhile, HIV and syphilis can take a month or more before you can accurately test for them. It’s all pretty confusing, but lucky for you, we created a nifty little chart that breaks down each STD’s average incubation period.

We know it can be hard to wait to get tested. As soon as the thought crosses your mind that you may have an STD, you want to learn your status ASAP. But you know now that’s probably not the best idea. You don’t want to test too early, and you also don’t want to have to visit our labs multiple times because of all the different STD incubation periods.

Condoms increase your chances of preventing STDs, but they are not 100% effective in preventing any and all STDs.

Most STDs are curable, especially when they’re caught early. HIV and herpes are STDs that have no known cure but can be managed with antivirals.

Certain STDs can be transmitted through non-sexual contact as well as oral and anal sex.

While all STDs can be transmitted through sex, some of them may be transmitted in other ways.

Many STDs may not show symptoms or may disguise themselves as other illnesses or diseases. The only way to be sure is to get tested.

Each STD has its own specific symptoms, and some STDs may not show any symptoms.

The only way to know for sure if you have an STD is to get tested.

Technically, there is a difference between STDs and STIs. An STI (sexually transmitted infection) is an infection, whereas an STD was an infection that developed into a disease.
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An STI is a sexually transmitted infection, and an STD is a sexually transmitted disease. STDs and STIs are often used interchangeably and as synonyms, but they technically mean different things. We’ll dive into greater details about their exact differences below.
Technically, STIs and STDs differ. Having an STI means that an individual has an infection that has not yet developed into a disease. Take HPV (human papillomavirus) for instance: Typically, a woman with HPV does not have any symptoms, but she carries the virus. She has an STI, but if she develops cervical cancer from HPV, she now has an STD since cancer is a disease. The same is true for individuals who have chlamydia or gonorrhea infections that develop into pelvic inflammatory disease (PID).
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The real question here is: What’s the difference between infection and disease? An infection or STI disease is often the first step of a disease and occurs when either bacteria or viruses enter the body and start multiplying. The disruption of normal body function or structure, especially when signs and symptoms appear, is considered an STI disease (as long as the cause is not the result of a physical injury).
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This means, medically speaking, that all STDs start out as STIs. STIs that progress into disease are STDs.
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The usage of STIs is becoming seemingly more preferred by the health world, thanks in part to a less negative stigma. STDs have been around forever—think back to junior high health classes. But the phrase "sexually transmitted infection" doesn’t yet have the same negative connotation attached to it, so doctors and health advisors are more than happy to use the term "infection" rather than "disease."

There are many STDs. We test for chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, genital herpes, oral herpes, HIV-1, HIV-2, and syphilis.

A sexually transmitted disease (STD) or “venereal disease” is an infection that is transmitted primarily through vaginal, anal, or oral sex. STDs can also be transmitted through intravenous drug use and nonsexual contact.

Yes, you can get either strand of herpes in either location.

Though both Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are caused by bacterial infections, they’re caused by two different bacteria and may produce different symptoms.

Yes, there is a difference between being HIV-positive and having AIDS. Though they share the same virus, they reflect two very distinct phases of the disease.

If you are taking a urine test, try not to urinate for at least an hour before the test in order to ensure a sufficient sample size. Additionally, if you’re taking the wellness panel, you will need to fast for 12 hours prior to the test. Otherwise, you don’t need to do anything to prepare for your STD test.

It’s impossible to tell which STDs you may have been exposed to; if you’re at risk for one STD, you’re at risk for all STDs. You can take our STD Test Recommender, but the best way to be sure that you’re informed and aware of the fact that you’ve eradicated all potential STDs is to take our 10-test panel.

We offer tests for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Trichomoniasis, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Genital Herpes, Oral Herpes, HIV-1 and HIV-2, and Syphilis. We offer individual tests as well as packages.

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Unlike some other viruses, the human body cannot get rid of HIV. That means that once you have HIV, you have it for life.

Only certain body fluids—blood, semen (cum), pre-seminal fluid (pre-cum), rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk—from a person who has HIV can transmit HIV. These fluids must come into contact with a mucous membrane or damaged tissue or be directly injected into the bloodstream (from a needle or syringe) for transmission to occur. Mucous membranes are found inside the rectum, vagina, penis, and mouth. Early HIV infection often has no symptoms. The only way to know if you are infected with HIV is to be tested. Currently, there is no effective cure that exists for HIV. However, with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. The CDC recommends that everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested at least once as a part of their routine health care. People with higher risk factors, such as more than one sexual partner, other STDs, gay and bisexual men, and individuals who inject drugs, should be tested at least once a year.

Knowing your risk can help you make important decisions to prevent exposure to HIV. The CDC has developed the HIV Risk Reduction Tool to help you know your risk and to gain a better understanding of how different prevention methods, like using condoms or taking PrEP, can reduce it. Overall, an American has a 1 in 99 chance of being diagnosed with HIV at some point in his or her lifetime. However, the lifetime risk is much greater among some populations.

Viral hepatitis refers to a group of viral infections that affect the liver. The most common types are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C are diseases caused by three different viruses. Although each can cause similar symptoms, they have different modes of transmission and can affect the liver differently. Hepatitis A appears only as an acute or newly occurring infection and does not become chronic. People with hepatitis A usually improve without treatment. Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C can also begin as acute infections, but in some people, the virus remains in the body, resulting in chronic disease and long-term liver problems. There are vaccines to prevent Hepatitis A and B; however, there is not one for Hepatitis C. Recommendations for testing depend on many different factors and on the type of hepatitis.

Often, this infection goes away on its own, but sometimes it doesn’t. Gonorrhea has started to develop resistance to medicine, becoming harder and harder to treat.

Yes. Most infections can be successfully treated. Talk to your provider about the best course of action for you.

You should discuss testing for sexually transmitted infections with your doctor at every checkup. How often you need to be screened depends on your risk factors for infection. Those risk factors can change over time.
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You should also get tested if you become pregnant or are concerned that you may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted infection. You can ask your doctor to make an individual plan for testing based on your activities and risk factors.

Men who have sex with men, people living with HIV, and people who don’t consistently use condoms tend to have the highest risk for STDs. If you have high risk factors, you should get tested at least once a year and sometimes more often.

Yes.

You can get tested during a regular check-up visit.

You’ll need to have a urine and/or blood test. This is usually fast and painless. You might also have a swab taken from any parts of your body (mouth, genitals) with pain or other signs of an STD infection.

Some tests, like a rapid HIV test, will give you a result while you wait. Most tests, including blood and urine tests, give a result within a few days.

If you have an STD, we’ll call you. We’ll also put the test results in MyChart, where you can access them privately and securely.

No. Some STDs have started to develop resistance to medicine, becoming harder and harder to treat. It’s important to follow your care instructions and take all of your medicine.

Not always. Some doctors conduct a sexual risk assessment on their patients once a year. Often, patients have to request to be tested for STDs. It is important to be specific with your doctor about the types of tests you want and your risk behaviors so they can provide appropriate treatment. If you haven’t had an honest conversation with your healthcare provider about your sexual activity, then you probably haven’t been tested appropriately.

Yes, you can. But it is important to realize that it can take weeks from the time of exposure and possible infection until symptoms occur or our diagnostic tests turn positive. So, if you had unprotected sex on Saturday and came into the clinic for testing on Monday, regardless of your test results, it is important to be re-tested in approximately six weeks, even if you don’t develop symptoms.

We encourage you to bring your sex partners with you. If you are infected with an STD, your partner could be at risk. Further, if you get treated and your partner doesn’t get treated, you run the risk of getting the STD again from them. If you are nervous about telling your sexual partner about your STD, we can help. Our trained staff can help you tell them or anonymously inform your sexual partner that they were exposed to an STD.

It is important to realize that if you are at risk for acquiring HIV, you are also at risk for getting other STDs. It would be beneficial for your health to get a full checkup from the clinicians. But you do not have to be seen by the clinician. You will see a counselor who will discuss the HIV test with you. The results of the rapid oral HIV test are usually ready in 20 minutes.

Absolutely. It is recommended that all persons obtain the hepatitis B vaccine, and hepatitis A is recommended for men who have sex with men, IV drug users, and persons with chronic liver disease. You may come into the clinic just for the vaccine; it will be administered by a clinician, who will ask you to wait 15 minutes after the vaccine to ensure there are no adverse reactions (very rare).

Most bacterial infections (such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis) are curable with antibiotics. Regardless, it is important to get re-tested in three months to make sure that you have cleared the bacterial infection or have not gotten re-infected. Herpes, HIV, and genital warts are all caused by viruses, and although there are medicines to treat the infections, no cure is possible at this time.

First, talk with your partners. It is important that you know how many other partners he or she has had or currently has and if he or she has been tested recently for STDs, including HIV. And, second, wear a condom (a dental dam for oral sex) each and every time you have sex.