Confidential STD Testing Q&A

Different people have different needs, including when to get tested for STDs. The following recommendations are:

– Everyone between the ages of 13 to 64 should get tested, at least once, for HIV.
– Sexually active women under 25 should get tested yearly for common bacterial infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea.
– All pregnant women should be tested for syphilis, hepatitis B, and HIV.
– All women in at-risk pregnancies should be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea before giving birth.
– Those having unprotected sex or sharing needles should be tested for HIV every year.

If you are exhibiting the signs or symptoms of an STD, it is important to get tested, especially if you are sexually active or have multiple partners. However, depending on the type of STD, the result may be falsely negative if the test is taken too soon. Testing guidelines based on specific diseases include:

– Chlamydia — Five days after exposure
– Gonorrhea — Six days after possible exposure
– Hepatitis A — Seven weeks after exposure
– Hepatitis B — 3-6 weeks after exposure
– Hepatitis C — Nine weeks after exposure
– Herpes — Six weeks after exposure
– HIV — 1-3 months after exposure
– Syphilis — Six weeks after exposure

These are just guidelines; your situation may necessitate different testing times and windows.

If STDs are left untreated, they can cause long-term health problems, including any of the following possible complications:

– Reproductive health problems, including infertility
– Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and pelvic pain
– Pregnancy complications
– Certain cancers, such as HPV-associated cervical
– Heart disease
– Eye inflammation 
 
In addition to the aforementioned complications, there are many risks that women can experience from STDs during pregnancy and after delivery. For example, STDs can be transmitted from mother to baby during pregnancy; this can increase the risk of certain complications of pregnancy, including birth defects, miscarriage, and stillbirth.
 
If syphilis is passed from mother to child (congenital syphilis), it can cause deformed bones, enlarged liver and spine, skin rashes, blindness, severe anemia, deafness, jaundice, and meningitis.
 
If chlamydia, gonorrhea, or herpes is transmitted to the newborn during delivery, it can lead to a number of health issues, such as eye infections and lung infections.

The STDs for which a person should be tested vary depending on their age, gender, and other factors. For example:

– Women who are sexually active and under 25 should be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea every year; this also includes women over 25 with certain risk factors.
– Pregnant women should all be tested for syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B early in pregnancy; those at risk should be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea.
– Men who are sexually active should be tested for chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and syphilis at least once a year; men at high risk should be tested more frequently, such as every three to six months.
 
At Columbia Clinic Urgent Care, you can get tested for STDs in a private and confidential clinic. We serve patients from Portland OR, PDX, Tigard OR, Milwaukie OR, Cedar Hills OR, Cedar Mill OR, Lake Oswego OR, Oak Grove OR, Vancouver WA, Aloha OR, Minnehaha WA, Gladstone OR, Tualatin OR, West Linn OR, Fairview OR, Oregon City OR.