Infections passing from one person to another during sexual contact classify as sexually transmitted diseases. The contact may be through vaginal, oral or anal sex. Also, there are some diseases that spread through skin-to-skin contact. This is also the reason that the cause for STDs does not just limit to sexual contact only.
Currently, there exist more than twenty types of disease transmitting sexually. These include diseases like chlamydia, genital herpes, gonorrhea, syphilis, HIV AIDS and so much more. Commonly the STDs are a cause of either bacteria, parasites or viruses. Furthermore, diseases that transmit sexually can affect both men and women. But the chances of severe health impacts of STDs are higher with women.
Now you understand what STDs are, but you also need to know about the symptoms for the same. Only complete knowledge can help in timely detection and prevention of STDs. So to begin with, symptoms of STDs will include unusual discharge from penis or vagina, painful and frequent urination. In addition, sores or warts on genital areas, itching, redness, abnormal odor are a few other symptoms.
Being aware of the symptoms now requires you to move to the next step of diagnosis. In order to identify if you have STD or not, free STD testing in Los Angeles is the best choice. The urgent care centers, health centers, and other similar places provide various STD tests free of cost.
Most frequently asked questions about STDs:
Apart from the general awareness about STDs, there exist several other questions that revolve around the topic. Here you will find the answer to all the FAQs about STIs.
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What is the cost of STI testing?
There is no fixed amount for STD testing. The cost of STD testing varies greatly and depends on many factors. You may easily find places providing STD testing absolutely free of cost or may sometimes get to know about laboratories demanding a huge price for the same test. The place you choose for testing, your insurance policy, income levels, area, government support, etc are some factors that impact the whole cost of STD testing.
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Which STIs should you be tested for?
There are not just one or two factors that are relevant for this answer. There are some general guidelines available to know which STIs test one should take. These are as follows:
- A person between the age of 13 to 64 years must definitely take the HIV test at least once in their lifetime. This may increase as per the potential exposure that one may have to the virus.
- Chlamydia and gonorrhea are diseases that every sexually active women under the age of 25 should take. Women of this age group are more prone to these diseases.
- All pregnant women must surely take the tests for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
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What is the normal duration of an STD test?
There exist different types of STD tests. Depending on the type of test, the duration of the test varies greatly. Most of the STI tests collecting urine, blood or saliva samples take only a few minutes.
Furthermore, the test results time duration also varies. There are some test results that are available within 20 minutes while the others may sometimes take one week for the results.
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Does periods impact STD testing timeline?
Contrary to the belief, one can take the STI test on any day of the menstrual cycle. The periods do not impact all the different types of STIs in the same manner. However, some tests will require you to wait for a few days after the periods end. You can easily get more details about this by talking with your doctor.
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Is it possible to test for STIs all by yourself?
There do exist some tests that one can take at home. However, taking STD tests at home is not a very good idea. It is always best to visit any nearby doctor, urgent care center or health center for STI testing.
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What are the treatments available for STIs?
STIs due to bacterias and parasites are treatable using antibiotics. However, the STDs caused because of viruses do not have any cure. In this scenario the medication helps in reducing the impact of STD but does not provide a complete cure for the disease. In addition, there exist vaccinations for diseases like HPV and hepatitis B which one must take as a preventive measure.
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How is prevention of STI possible?
Using latex condoms greatly increases the chances of getting STDs. Know that condoms are just a preventive measure and do not come with complete guarantee of not having STD during intercourse.
Final note:
Diseases transmitting sexually may or may not find a cure. Depending on the disease and the stage of it, treatments vary to a great extent. However, just by being proactive and having the right knowledge one can stay safe from STIs. Some diseases leave a long term adverse impact on the body, which is why it is always important to take the STD tests on a regular basis. This helps with diagnosing in time and quality treatment. So if you have never given a thought to STD testing till date, make sure that you do it now.
