What To Know About STD Testing And Treatment
If you are sexually active (even with the same partner), it's a good idea to get regular STD screenings. Depending on your age and your sexual history, your doctor will determine what kind of screening is best for you.
What Does STD Screening Look Like?
Whether you go into your general practitioner, your OBGYN, or an STD clinic, they may recommend one type of STD screening over another.
- Pregnant Women: During your first prenatal visit, you will be screened for a variety of different STD's including HIV, chlamydia, hepatitis B, and gonorrhea. Because STIs can be passed from the mother to the baby and can cause complications, it's very important that you get tested for them.
- Everyone: Both men and women ages 13 to 64 are screened for sexually transmitted infections by either a saliva or blood test but it's something that you have to request form your practitioner.
- Women Over 21: Women who are over the age of 21 and are sexually active should have PAP smear exams done regularly to check for a variety of STD's including the human papillomavirus which is known to cause cervical cancer.
STD Treatment
If you do test positive for an STD there may be a treatment option available for you depending on the type that you tested positive for.
Antibiotics
A single dose of antibiotics can often be used to help cure STDs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. In addition to making sure that you are really strict with taking your antibiotics, it's also important that you avoid sexual intercourse for about seven days after you have completed your antibiotics to make sure that everything is cleared up and that any sores that you have are gone.
Antiviral Drugs
If you have tested positive for herpes or HIV, your doctor may prescribe you with an antiviral drug. The thing to know about antiviral drugs is that although they can help you keep your symptoms under control, they won't prevent you from spreading them to your partner so be mindful of that.
In addition to getting on one of these medications, it's advisable that you and your partners are open and upfront with each other about your sexual history. For instance, if you have a new sexual partner that has recently tested positive for an STD, they should tell you about it and vice versa. If you want to learn more about STDs and STD treatment, reach out to a physician in your area and see if they can run some tests for you so that you have better peace of mind.
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