STD Testing
Hi, thank you for coming back for the latest edition of Beyond Primary Care’s blog- STD Testing. In Beyond Primary Care blogs we highlight healthcare news, advice for medical conditions, and how membership for care works! Beyond Primary Care is an insurance free, membership based family medicine clinic. Beyond Primary Care is the highest rated Direct Primary Care clinic serving patients in Ann Arbor and throughout Washtenaw, Livingston, and Wayne counties giving families and employers peace of mind about healthcare costs by providing affordable and accessible primary care services.
The primary purpose of the blog is to introduce healthy lifestyle concepts and answer common questions we receive from patients that we believe are important. We want to start discussions that will help educate, benefit, and improve your well-being.
In this blog post, we want to educate our patients and any prospective patients about STD testing.
What Are STDs?
The numerous ways we can show love and intimacy while also being sexual active. This requires us to be aware of our sexual health, both for ourselves and other people. Sexual health includes many issues, including consent, family planning, and minimizing pain. Additionally, sexual health means doing your part in preventing sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) from spreading.
STDs have been and will remain a significant public health concern. Left untreated, many can have long-term health consequences including infertility, cancer, disfiguration, birth defects, and even death.
Generally, there is a lack of education among the public about different STDs including how they present and how testing is completed, along with reluctance to seek care, discuss concerns, and concerns over affordability of testing and treatment.
Additionally, many people perceive a stigma towards testing that may prevent them from seeking out adequate testing or care or encouraging others to do the same. It may be thought to reflect on someone’s promiscuity. It should be noted that testing is a normal part of our health maintenance to keep ourselves and our partners safe.
Many STDs can be identified including:
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection is spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. This is the most common STD that effects both men and women, mostly commonly among 14-24 year olds. Most people with chlamydia don’t have any symptoms and feel totally fine. Others may experience abnormal discharge and a burning sensation when urinating.
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection and is spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Alternate names include ‘the clap’ or ‘the drip.’ In 2020, 15% of all chlamydia patients were co-diagnosed with gonorrhea; 28% of all gonorrhea patients were co-diagnosed with chlamydia. Gonorrhea may present as painful or burning urination; white, yellow, or green vaginal / penile discharge.
Syphilis
Syphilis is a bacterial infection spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Men make up 86% of all primary and secondary syphilis diagnosis, with black men at a 5.5 higher rate compared to white men. Without proper treatment, early syphilis symptoms will fade by the infection remains in the body and can cause long-term harm. Initially, syphilis can cause sores on the genitals or mouth called chancres that may go unnoticed. Secondary syphilis can cause unexplained rashes and fevers. A mother can also pass syphilis to a baby during pregnancy and childbirth, called congenital syphilis.
Genital Warts
Genital warts are caused by certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a common STD, and while some ‘high-risk’ types can develop into cancer if left untreated, many ‘low-risk’ types of HPV can cause warts on the vulva, vagina cervix, rectum, anus, penis, and scrotum. Genital warts are passed from having skin-to-skin contact with someone who’s infected.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
There are many ‘sub-types’ of HPV that are usually harmless and go away by itself, but some types can lead to cancer or genital warts. Cervical cancer is the most commonly linked to HPV, but HPV can also cause cancer in the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, mouth, and throat.
Herpes
Herpes is a viral infection that is spread via skin-to-skin contact with infected areas during vaginal, anal, and oral sex along with kissing. Herpes is caused by the herpes simplex virus and presents as sores that are itching, painful that come and go. Herpes stays in your body for life and there is no cure, but it is not dangerous. People with herpes can manage outbreaks and have relationships, sex, and live perfectly healthy lives.
HIV
HIV is short for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and it breaks down certain cells in your immune system. The virus is passed from vaginal or anal sex, sharing needles, and even passed during pregnancy or childbirth. If HIV damages your immune system severely or long enough, it becomes easier to get sick and even pass from infections that a healthier person could of fought off. There is no cure for HIV, but medicines can help a person stay healthy and live perfectly healthy lives.
Pubic Lice
Public lice are small parasites that live on the skin and coarse hairs that are around the genitals and are spread through sexual contact. They are also known as crabs. Public lice can cause intense itching, but don’t cause any long-term serious health problems.
Hepatitis
Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus and is spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Short term there may be no symptoms, but long term the infection can cause liver disease and there is no cure.
Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is a parasite infection spread by vaginal sex, vulva to vulva contact, or sharing sex toys. Like many STDs, most people may not feel any infection but it can cause irritation and itching, smelling discharge, and painful or frequent urination.
STD Risk Factors
STDs are not an issue of one group or class of people. Rich people, poor people, all racial groups, all political tendencies- people have sex and thus they have risk. Other risk factors include:
Younger people moving in and out of sexual relationships more often and having multiple sexual partners.
Other risk factors include having vaginal, anal, or oral sex without a condom.
Having sex while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, which can lower inhibitions and result in greater sexual risk-taking.
It is important to note that STDs are not spread through casual contact such as sharing food or drinks, hugging, holding hands, coughing, sneezing, or sitting on toilet seats.
STD Testing
There are a few ways to get tested for STDs. With the advancement of the internet and privacy, it is now possible to have testing with just an online search. There are cons to online testing though including accuracy, cost, and time delays secondary to shipping.
The best way of getting tested is by going to a doctor’s office where you can provide a sample at the time of your visit. Beyond Primary Care is a Direct Primary Care clinic. As part of our mission to make our patient’s healthcare affordable, we offer wholesale laboratory testing of all STDs. Blood tests routinely include: HIV, Herpes I, Herpes II, Hepatitis B, Syphilis. Swabs or urine tests include chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. Often times, results for our patients are ready within 24-72 hours.
It is important for everyone- yes even you- to undergo routine STD screening. It is recommended that everyone has routine testing for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis.
STD Treatment
We recognize that cost-containment for medications to treat STDs such as antibiotics and antivirals is a human right. We also recognize that at Beyond Primary Care we must work towards meaningful solutions for our patients. In the case of a positive result, Beyond Primary Care doctors will be able to prescribe you medication and get you on your way to healing. Our office stocks many common medications used including injection ceftriaxone, oral azithromycin, metronidazole, and valacylovir.
Thank you for reading
Dr. Jeff O’Boyle with Beyond Primary Care
