4 Things To Know About STD Testing

If you want to maintain optimal health, it's important to utilize a variety of screening procedures, including STD testing. Many STDs have few or no symptoms, making it essential for you to make STD testing a regular part of your health maintenance routine.

Even if you believe that you're at a low risk of acquiring or having an STD, it's still important for you to get tested thanks to the lasting effects caused by an infection. STD treatment is usually easier and faster when STDs are detected in their early stages. Here are a few things you need to know about STD testing.

1. STD Testing is Relatively Painless

Some individuals avoid STD testing because they worry that it's painful, but the reality is that most tests for STDs are pain-free or only cause a moment of small discomfort. There isn't a single test that detects every single STD; instead, a variety of tests are used to complete the testing. 

Usually, a combination of a urine test, blood test, and genital swab is used for STD testing. A blood test will involve a small prick that should only cause a few seconds of discomfort. A genital swap is fast and takes less than a minute to complete. 

2. STD Testing Can Help You Maintain Your Fertility and Overall Wellbeing 

An untreated STD can cause lasting damage to your health and fertility. Long-term effects associated with untreated STDs include headaches, blindness, lesions, memory issues, inflammation, neurological problems, and pelvic inflammatory disease. These lasting effects can also make it difficult for you to conceive a child. 

Should you become pregnant when you have an STD, you're at a higher risk of suffering a miscarriage or a stillbirth. It's also possible for you to spread the STD to the fetus, resulting in neurological problems for the baby.

Even if you don't have any symptoms, you should still undergo periodic STD testing. Infections with no detectable symptoms can be spread to your sexual partners. It's possible for an asymptomatic STD infection to lie dormant for years at a time with no visible symptoms. 

4. Treatment is Available If You Test Positive for an STD

If you have a positive result from your STD testing, you have options for treating the disease to minimize the long-term impact on your health. Most STDs can be treated or managed with the appropriate medication. You'll also need to utilize protection to ensure you don't spread the infection to your sexual partners while you're undergoing treatment. 

For more information about STD testing, reach out to a local service. 

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