Where to get screened for stds

Learn how to spot the main symptoms. Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease. It causes herpes sores, which are painful blisters fluid-filled bumps that can break open and ooze…. Information on sexually transmitted infections specifically for women. Read about gender specific symptoms, prevention and tests. See some examples and descriptions.

Some of the most common causes of genital rashes are infections and autoimmune disorders. This includes such conditions as jock itch and psoriasis…. Practicing safe sex is crucial to the prevention of sexually transmitted infections.

Learn more. Talking about sex can be awkward. But it's also a key adult skill. We asked sex and relationship experts for the best ways to talk about sex. As featured on Good Morning America, we examine expert opinions and survey data in a comprehensive overview of the current fertility landscape in Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Who should be tested for STIs? What STIs should you be tested for? Where can you be tested for STIs?

Screening is important, because if you don't have signs or symptoms, you may not know that you have either infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC encourages HIV testing, at least once, as a routine part of medical care if you're an adolescent or adult between the ages of 13 and Younger teens should be tested if they have a high risk of an STI.

The CDC recommends hepatitis C screening for everyone born between and The incidence of hepatitis C is high in this age group, and the disease often has no symptoms until it's advanced. Vaccines are available for both hepatitis A and B if screening shows you haven't been exposed to these viruses. National guidelines recommend that you request testing for HIV , syphilis and hepatitis if you:.

Your doctor tests you for syphilis by taking either a blood sample or a swab from any genital sores you might have. The sample is examined in a lab. A blood sample is taken to test for HIV and hepatitis. No good screening test exists for herpes — a viral infection.

Most people with herpes infection never have any symptoms but can still transmit the virus to others. Your doctor may take a tissue scraping or culture of blisters or early ulcers, if you have them, to be examined in a lab. But a negative test doesn't rule out herpes as a cause for genital ulcerations. A blood test also may help detect a past herpes infection, but results aren't always definite. Some blood tests can help differentiate between the two main types of the herpes virus.

Type 1 is the virus that more typically causes cold sores, although it can also cause genital sores. Type 2 is the virus that causes genital sores more often. Still, the results may not be totally clear, depending on the sensitivity of the test and the stage of the infection. False-positive and false-negative results are possible. Certain types of human papillomavirus HPV can cause cervical cancer while other varieties of HPV can cause genital warts.

Many sexually active people become infected with HPV at some point in their lives, but never develop symptoms. The virus typically disappears within two years. There's no routinely used HPV screening test for men, in whom the infection is diagnosed by visual inspection or biopsy of genital warts. In women, HPV testing involves:. HPV has also been linked to cancer of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and mouth and throat.

Most insurance providers do not cover at-home test kits. However, most accept flexible savings account FSA and or payments. Samples from at-home tests undergo the same analysis as lab tests and are just as accurate.

However, it is important to carefully follow the instructions for how to collect and store the samples. Read more about at-home STI tests here. Planned Parenthood health centers also offer STI testing. They receive government reimbursements and grants from public programs, such as Medicaid and Title X, which means people can get STI testing and treatment for free or at a very low cost, depending on their income, demographics, and eligibility.

Mobile reproductive health centers can also offer community-based STI screenings and other reproductive health services to migrants, people from low-income households, people who do not have insurance, people from marginalized groups, people living in rural areas, and others. This Mobile Health map provides a list of participating mobile health clinics throughout the U. Most STI tests only require a urine, blood, or swab sample and do not typically require the assistance of a health professional.

However, a healthcare professional will need to carry out a Pap smear , which checks for human papillomavirus HPV , to ensure the safety and accuracy of the test. If a person is experiencing symptoms, such as warts, sores, or lesions, it is advisable to talk with a doctor. Typically, STI tests require either a urine, blood, or swab sample from the mouth, genitals, or anus. Some STI tests require a combination of samples. Except for rapid HIV tests , which can show results in about 20 minutes, most other STI test results take between 2 days to 1 week.

Yes, urgent care does STI tests and can also provide appropriate antibiotic and antiviral medications. There are many STI testing options available that allow people to test themselves routinely. In addition to regular testing, it is important to use condoms or other barrier birth control methods during sex to prevent transmitting and contracting an STI.

Learn more about male and female condoms here. A range of at-home gonorrhea testing kits is available. They are a reliable and effective method for diagnosing gonorrhea.

Learn about the best tests…. Antiviral drugs. If you have herpes or HIV , you'll be prescribed an antiviral drug.

You'll have fewer herpes recurrences if you take daily suppressive therapy with a prescription antiviral drug. However, it's still possible to give your partner herpes. Antiviral drugs can keep HIV infection in check for many years. But you will still carry the virus and can still transmit it, though the risk is lower.

The sooner you start HIV treatment, the more effective it is. If you take your medications exactly as directed, it's possible to reduce the viral load in the blood so that it can hardly be detected. If you've had an STI , ask your doctor how long after treatment you need to be retested.

Getting retested will ensure that the treatment worked and that you haven't been reinfected. If tests show that you have an STI , your sex partners — including your current partners and any other partners you've had over the last three months to one year — need to be informed so that they can get tested. If they're infected, they can then be treated.

Each state has different requirements, but most states require that certain STIs be reported to the local or state health department. Public health departments often employ trained disease intervention specialists who can help notify partners and refer people for treatment.

The practice also steers those at risk toward counseling and the right treatment. And since you can contract some STIs more than once, partner notification reduces your risk of getting reinfected. Explore Mayo Clinic studies testing new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition. You might be angry if you feel you've been betrayed or ashamed if you might have infected others.

At worst, an STI can cause chronic illness and death, even with the best care that's available. Most people don't feel comfortable sharing the details of their sexual experiences, but the doctor's office is one place where you have to provide this information so that you can get the right care. Giving your doctor a complete report of your symptoms and sexual history will help your doctor determine how to best care for you. Here are some of the things your doctor may ask:. If you think you might have an STI , it's best to abstain from sexual activity until you've talked with your doctor.

If you do engage in sexual activity before seeing your doctor, be sure to follow safe sex practices, such as using a condom.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Diagnosis If your sexual history and current signs and symptoms suggest that you have a sexually transmitted disease STD or a sexually transmitted infection STI , your doctor will do a physical or pelvic exam to look for signs of infection, such as a rash, warts or discharge.

Tests Laboratory tests can identify the cause and detect coinfections you might also have. Blood tests. Blood tests can confirm the diagnosis of HIV or later stages of syphilis.