STD Testing

The Basic STD Panel tests for some of the most common STDs. If you are sexualy active and have unprotected sex, it is highly recommended that you get screened for STDs so you can be informed of your sexual health.

A standard STD panel will include all of the following tests:

• Chlamydia and Gonorrhea: The Chlamydia and Gonorrhea tests are typically performed as a single urine sample.
• Syphilis: The Syphilis test is performed as a blood test.
• HIV

The Comprehensive STD Panel is a blood and urine test that tests for several sexually transmitted diseases simultaneously.

The bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis causes chlamydia.

• Symptoms include painful urination, vaginal discharge, abdominal pain for women, or unusual discharge from the penis for men.
• If left untreated, Chlamydia disease that can cause severe complications in the sexual and urinary tracts.
• A sample of your urine is analyzed in the laboratory for presence of this infection.

This is a sexually Transmitted disease and causes pain when urination and a discharge. Chlamydia testing is used to screen for and diagnose sexually transmitted infections caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis.

Testing for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhea) is often done at the same time since the infections caused by these two bacteria can have similar signs and symptoms.

A Chlamydia and Gonorrhea Urine Test, Random detects chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae which is generally transmitted through sexual contact with an infected partner.

The Gonorrhea bacterium causes this sexually transmitted disease (STD). A gonorrhea test looks for the presence of gonorrhea bacteria in your body. The disease can be cured with antibiotics. But if it’s not treated, gonorrhea can lead to infertility and other serious health problems.

• It can cause numerous reproductive and health issues if left untreated.
• Symptoms of this disease include a discharge from the penis or vagina and painful urination.
• Most of the time, urine can be used to test for gonorrhea.

Syphilis is caused by the syphilis bacteria, usually transmitted through sexual contact.

The first sign of syphilis is a small sore, called a chancre (SHANG-kur). The sore appears at the spot where the bacteria entered your body. While most people infected with syphilis develop only one chancre, some people develop several of them. The chancre usually develops about three weeks after exposure. Syphilis tests are used to screen for and diagnose syphilis. Screening tests for syphilis include a Rapid plasma reagin (RPR), a syphilis blood test that looks for antibodies to the syphilis bacteria. Antibodies are proteins made by the immune system to fight foreign substances, such as bacteria.

• A positive test results when the Syphilis Test detects antibodies in a blood test. No antibodies mean there has been no exposure to the bacteria.
• Untreated, syphilis causes partial paralysis, numbness, the gradual onset of blindness, and even dementia.
• Syphilis is entirely treatable with antibiotics.

Parasites transmitted during sexual activity cause Trichomoniasis. The infection causes vaginal infections in women and urethral and prostate infections in men. For men or women, the initial portion of urine stream (first-catch urine sample). If the parasite can be seen under the microscope, no further tests are needed. If this test isn’t conclusive, tests called rapid antigen tests and nucleic acid amplification may be used.

This is a common sexually transmitted disease pre the CDC.

The herpes virus is caused by oral contact with the virus, usually in childhood.
There are two types of herpes –

• Simplex Virus 1, the more common of the two, is known as Oral Herpes and causes sores to develop around the lips and mouth (oral herpes)
• Simplex Virus 2 is known as Genital Herpes and is caused by having sex with an infected person
• The Herpes Simplex Virus I/II test measures the body’s immune response to the virus with exceptional accuracy

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious, short-term liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis  is  an  inflammation  of  the  liver  that  can  be  contracted  through  unprotected  sex,  using contaminated needles, or other causes.

People who get hepatitis A may feel sick for a few weeks to several months but usually recover completely and do not have lasting liver damage. In rare cases, hepatitis A can cause liver failure and even death; this is more common in older people and in people with other serious health issues, such as chronic liver disease.

This test for just Hepatitis C virus that causes liver function issues. A person can have both Hepatitis B & C at the same time.

The virus is spread by contact with contaminated blood, for example, from sharing needles or from unsterile tattoo equipment.

Most people have no symptoms. Those who do develop symptoms may have fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, and yellowing of the eyes and skin.

Hepatitis C is treated with antiviral medications. In some people, newer medicines can eradicate the virus.

Hepatitis causes the liver. It can be caused by a virus, excessive alcohol consumption or certain medications. It can also be caused through unprotected sex. There are three types of infectious hepatitis.

• Hepatitis A is caused by consuming contaminated water or food; it causes acute liver inflammation. Its symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, and yellowing of eyes. The infection usually goes away on its own without treatment and does not cause long-term (chronic) illness. Very rarely, hepatitis A can cause life-threatening liver failure.
• Hepatitis B is contracted through sharing contaminated needles, having unprotected sex, or being exposed to infected blood from another person. It can be both acute (a short-term illness) or chronic (a long-term illness). Most adults who get it have it for a short time and then get better. But sometimes the virus causes a long-term infection, called chronic hepatitis B. Over time, this can lead to liver damage or liver cancer. It is preventable with a vaccine.
• Hepatitis C is spread by blood from contaminated needles during drug use or tattooing and by having unprotected sex. Over time, it can lead to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), liver cancer, or liver failure. It is always chronic and is not preventable with a vaccine.

When it shows symptoms, hepatitis causes sudden nausea and vomiting, fatigue, joint pain, low-grade fever, and appetite loss. In many cases, hepatitis shows no signs, or the symptoms develop years after contracting the infection. Untreated hepatitis often causes cirrhosis of the liver, which interferes with liver function and can lead to liver cancer and death.

HIV is transmitted sexually and causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS. AIDS interferes with the body’s ability to fight infections.

The virus can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen, or vaginal fluids. Within a few weeks of HIV infection, flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat, and fatigue can occur. Then the disease is usually asymptomatic until it progresses to AIDS. AIDS symptoms include weight loss, fever or night sweats, fatigue, and recurrent infections.

No cure exists for AIDS, but strict adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) can dramatically slow the disease progress, prevent secondary infections and complications, and prolong life.

• The disease attacks the immune system, reduces its effectiveness, and creates a higher level of vulnerability to infections that the body would otherwise defeat.
• HIV is tested with a blood test. If the test result is positive, a second test will determine if HIV is also present in the antibodies.