Complications (1)
- Infertility
Definition (1)
- Infectious diseases
Prevention (1)
- Condoms: How to use them effectively
Symptoms (1)
- STD symptoms: 7 STDs and common symptoms
Tests and diagnosis (1)
- STD testing: What to know before your appointment
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STD testing: What to know before your appointment
At-home STD testing
Gaining acceptance and popularity are at-home test kits for certain STDs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea. For home STD testing, you collect a urine sample or a genital or rectal swab and then send it to a laboratory for analysis. Some tests require both types of samples. You can usually get test results in a few days, and you're able to collect the sample in the privacy of your home without need for a pelvic exam or office visit.
However, tests done on samples you collect yourself may have a higher rate of false-positive results, meaning the test indicates you have an STD that you really don't have. If you test positive from a home test, contact your doctor or a public health clinic to confirm the test results.
Positive test results
If you test positive for an STD, the next step is to consider further testing and then to get treatment as recommended by your doctor. In addition, inform your sex partners. Your partners need to be evaluated and treated, because you can pass some infections back and forth.
Expect to feel various emotions. You may feel ashamed, angry or afraid. It may help to remind yourself that you've done the right thing by getting tested so that you can inform your partners and get treated. Talk with your doctor about your concerns.
Before having sex with a new partner
If you can't trust a partner not to give you an STD, you may not want to have sex with that person. You can ask them to be tested for gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV, syphilis and hepatitis, but negative tests don't guarantee against all STDs.
If you decide to have sex, use condoms. Although they offer only limited protection against herpes, HPV and other infections transmissible without intercourse, condoms do help protect against HIV, chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea.
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- Cervical cancer: Prevention and early detection. American Cancer Society. Accessed July 10, 2009.
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- Chlamydia: CDC fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Chlamydia/STDFact-Chlamydia.htm. Accessed July 10, 2009.
- Gonorrhea: CDC fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Gonorrhea/STDFact-gonorrhea.htm. Accessed July 10, 2009.
- Genital herpes: CDC fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/STDFact-herpes.htm. Accessed July 10, 2009.
- HPV and men: CDC fact sheet. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/HPV/STDFact-HPV-and-men.htm. Accessed July 10, 2009.
- Thinking about testing for HPV? American Cancer Society. Accessed July 10, 2009.
- Hobbs MM, et al. From the NIH: Proceedings of a workshop on the importance of self-obtained vaginal specimens for detection of sexually transmitted infections. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 2008;35:8.
- Moncada J, et al. Evaluation of self-collected glans and rectal swabs from men who have sex with men for detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae by use of nucleic acid amplification tests. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 2009;47:1657.
