Answer:
by Georgan Gregg: (06/26/2004)
Glad to see your interest in sexual health. Tests actually don’t ensure your safety, they only reveal whether you already have a sexually transmitted infection or disease (STI/STD). The only way to stay sexually healthy is to practice safe(r) sex or be involved in a mutually monogamous relationship once you are sure both are infection/disease free. There are several kinds of tests, depending upon what type of bodily response to infection & disease the health care professional is seeking.
First, you should know that many STD could also be transmitted in other ways. Relationships & self-image can suffer if assumptions are made that sex HAS to be involved. Health care professionals check for STD by taking blood tests, doing cultures & visual inspection (sometimes using a microscope). You can get the tests done by your personal physician or get free or low cost testing by going to clinics run by the health department or other health care agencies. Check in your local phone book yellow pages.
Blood tests use blood drawn from your arm, with the sample sent to a lab for actual testing, therefore, you have to wait for the results (usually 1-2 weeks). I recommend you go to a clinic for an HIV test because doctors usually do NOT have the proper pre & post test counseling to help you understand how the test works, what it means, or details on how to keep yourself not infected with HIV (HIV-negative) OR what to do if you already are infected (HIV-positive/HIV+). Many clinics & all doctors can do more than 1 blood test at a time. For instance, syphilis & HIV can be done together. Of course, often syphilis results will be done prior to the HIV test.
For other tests, you must have a health care professional examine you. Besides simply looking at you during the exam, they may take a sample of discharge to look for a specific type of odor (using a “whiff” test), staining to see what bacteria & other microorganisms are present, or testing for pH. Often the discharge sample must be put on a slide & looked at under a microscope. All these can be done in the office so results are immediate. Cultures, of course, vary in time needed for results because growing of microorganisms, tissue cells, or other living matter in a specially prepared nutrient medium varies by how long it takes to grow whatever you’re testing for.
A final & important suggestion is to be sure you’re talking to a caring & STD/HIV knowledgeable professional. Getting both can be challenging, but worth it to have an expert who really listens to your side, as well as talks. Contact us anytime.Reviewed by Sexual Health Editorial Team
|
