If you participate in any type of sexual contact, you can get a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Unfortunately, you may not develop obvious symptoms right away, which makes STD testing essential because it’s the only way to learn whether you have an STD. The doctors at The Ob-Gyn Center in Las Vegas, offer comprehensive STD screening, counseling, and treatment. If you have questions about whether you may need STD testing, call the office or use the online booking feature to schedule an appointment.
Chances are you’re familiar with most of the names on this list of the most common STDs:
Although cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have been on the rise, HPV is still the most common STD. In many cases, your immune system gets rid of HPV before it settles in and leads to an infection. However, if it’s not cleared away, HPV can cause genital warts, cervical cancer, penile cancer, and anal cancer.
There are two vital reasons to get tested: to protect your health and to be sure you don’t pass the disease to a partner. But here’s the thing to remember: Many STDs don’t cause symptoms at first.
Without symptoms, you won’t know you have an STD unless you undergo screening. Untreated STDs can cause serious problems for women, like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility.
Each STD has a specific set of symptoms, but as a group, they cause problems such as:
STD symptoms may not appear for weeks after sexual contact, so you may not associate the symptom with its cause. Additionally, symptoms for some STDs can come and go, making them easy to ignore or miss.
You should schedule an appointment for STD screening any time you notice a potential symptom and when you have sex with a new partner. Additionally, everyone who has been sexually active should consider getting screened once for HIV.
STD testing begins with a physical exam to look for warts, sores, rashes, and vaginal discharge. Based on the results of your exam and your history, your doctor may order a blood test or urinalysis, and take samples from sores, blisters, and fluids so they can go to the lab for evaluation.
After determining whether you have an STD and which one, your doctor at the Ob-Gyn Center provides comprehensive treatment and counseling to help you prevent future STDs.
If you have any questions about whether you may need STD testing, call your doctor at The Ob-Gyn Center for guidelines and information or book an appointment online.
