How often, and where, should I get STI tested?
Regular testing is essential to your health — as well as your partner’s
Test early. Test often.
According to the CDC, over 1.1 million people are living with HIV in the United States. While HIV (which causes AIDS) may be the sexually transmitted disease (STD) people are most aware and afraid of, it is not the most common.
79 million people in the U.S. have HPV, which can cause genital warts and cancer. As of 2016, some 1.59 million cases of chlamydia had been reported in the U.S., the incidence of which, along with gonorrhea and syphilis, is actually on the rise.
Altogether, it’s estimated that there are 110 million sexually transmitted infections (STIs) at any given time.
What do these numbers tell us? That STIs are common and shouldn’t carry a stigma. Many of them are also treatable and/or preventable. Health professionals agree that widely-accessible prevention, testing, and treatment options for STIs are the best way to fight this public health issue. You can do your part for your own health and your community’s by taking time to consider when and what you should get tested for at your doctor’s or a community health clinic.
What STIs should I get tested for?
The standard STIs that clinics test for are HIV, hepatitis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis. Most women are tested for HPV by their gynecologist only if they’re over 30 or there’s unusual results on their regular pap smears; there isn’t yet a routine screening option for HPV in men.
How often should I get tested?
If you’re exhibiting the symptoms of an STD, you should definitely get tested. This includes weird discharge, sores, or pain around your genitals, as well as more general symptoms that appear flu-like at first.
But most STIs are asymptomatic or simply never turn into an STD.
So, if you’ve had unprotected sex (no condom or dental dam) or your partner finds out they have an STI, you should get tested.
Because of different risk factors for different diseases and demographics, the CDC also recommends that:
Anyone ages 13–64 should get tested at least once for HIV
Sexually active women under 25, or over 25 with certain risk factors, should get annual testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea
All pregnant women should get tested for syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B, with chlamydia and gonorrhea screening for at-risk pregnant women as well
Men who have sex with men should be screened annually (or more frequently if you have multiple/anonymous partners) for syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and HIV
Anyone who shares injection drug equipment should be screened annually for HIV
Where can I go for affordable testing?
STI testing can be expensive, but the CDC’s GetTested tool maps out free and low-cost STI testing clinics across the U.S.
Other good places to look are Planned Parenthood, your local health department, and community health clinics.
If you’re insured, ACA provisions should also help you get free or low-cost testing.
And if you have privacy concerns, you can even get tested in your own home with at-home STI testing kits.
I got a positive result…now what?
As with any medical news, take time to process it and prioritize your mental health. You’ll want to notify any partners you’ve had between now and your last clean test so they know to get tested too.
Take your results to your doctor and get started on a treatment plan right away. Many STIs only cause serious damage if left untreated, and even HIV has therapy options that can vastly improve patients’ quality of life.
Just because you get tested regularly does not mean you can forget preventative measures!
Get the HPV vaccine (ideally parents need to get it done for their children since it’s most effective before an individual becomes sexually active).
Use a barrier (condoms or dental dams) for any kind of sex, even if pregnancy isn’t a concern.
Do your best to make sure your partner’s been tested and that you’ve also been tested since your last partner.
If you know your partner is HIV positive, ask your doctor about Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) before you start having sex to reduce the risk of transmission.
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