STD Screening Guidelines: Who Should Be Tested, and When

Sex is an essential part of our lives, and aside from the reproductive functions it serves, it also has a lot of health benefits, like reducing stress, improving cardiovascular health, relieving pain, improving self-esteem, and lowering the chances of prostate cancer in men. It’s no wonder we’re hardwired to want to do it, but it also carries the risk of a number of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) that can carry long-term issues on your health.

Over 30 different bacteria, viruses, and parasites can lead to STDs, which have a global effect on the health of hundreds of millions of people ages 15-49. Many of these conditions don’t show symptoms right away and can spread quickly, so getting checked for STDs is important for your health and the people you’re intimately involved with. 

If you live in the Orangevale or Rancho Cordova, California, area and you have signs of an STD, Dr. Andrew Nangalama and his experienced medical staff at American River Urgent Care can help you get the treatment you need.

Common STDs 

These diseases frequently appear reflecting whatever form of sex takes place, whether it’s vaginal, oral, or anal, and some of them are very likely to be transmitted:

• Gonorrhea: a bacterial infection also known as the clap
• Chlamydia: another bacterial infection that transfers through fluids
• Syphilis: caused by bacteria and untreated, becomes very dangerous in later stages
• Herpes simplex virus (HSV): a highly contagious disease that infects people during outbreaks
• Human papillomavirus (HPV): a virus that has over 100 types that can cause cervical cancer

Estimates from the World Health Organization (WHO) show that 1 million new STDs are acquired daily worldwide and that in a single year, 374 million new infections have occurred, with several of the diseases mentioned happening in high numbers.

Signs to look for

With so many possible infections, there are a lot of signs to look for, but there are a number of them that overlap. If you experience symptoms like painful or burning urination, genital discharge, painful sex, rectal pain, itching, or bleeding, fever, strong vaginal odor, ulcers or blisters on the mouth or genitals, and pelvic itching, get to a doctor as soon as possible to get checked for one of these conditions.

Bear in mind that many of these illnesses do not present with symptoms right away, so when you start having them getting them treated as soon as possible will help reduce future complications.

How often you need testing

Since many of the conditions don’t initially show symptoms, here’s the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for who should be tested and in what general time frame:

• Between 13-64 years of age: everyone should have at least one human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) test

• Sexually active women under 25: annual testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia

• Women over 25 with risk factors: testing for the same diseases if you have a new partner, a partner with an STD, or have multiple partners

• Pregnant women: should be tested for hepatitis Band C, HIV, and syphilis and get repeat testing if necessary

• Sexually active gay or bisexual men: annual testing for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis C if you have  HIV

• People who share drug equipment: HIV can be transmitted through needle sharing, so get tested annually

With multiple partners, being tested every three to six months is recommended, and get tested if you show symptoms. Inform your partners if you test positive so they can get tested as well.

Sex should be something you enjoy, and if you get infected, you should get help as soon as possible. Contact Dr. Nanagalama and American River Urgent Care today to schedule STD testing.