5 STDs You Can Screen for Right Now

While no one sets out to contract a sexually transmitted disease, an estimated one in five people in the United States have one.

At Primary Care Walk-In Medical Clinic, our team offers discreet, on-site STD screenings to quickly identify an infection that needs treatment. We can also customize a treatment plan that helps clear the infection, so you can protect your long-term sexual and physical health.

An overview of STDs

STDs describe a variety of diseases that you spread from sexual contact with an infected person. These diseases are serious and can have a long-lasting effect on your quality of life. Several common STDs are known to be contributing factors to infertility.

Our team provides STD screenings for sexually active adolescents and adults. We recommend that you visit the clinic as a walk-in or by appointment if you have unprotected sex with an infected person or if you experience symptoms of an STD, such as:

• Fatigue
• Genital blisters or warts
• Excessive urination
• Burning during urination
• Vaginal or penile discharge

It’s also wise to get routine screenings for STDs if you have unprotected sex, especially with multiple partners, even if you don’t have any symptoms.

STDs you should screen for

Our team at Primary Care Walk-In Clinic offers on-site screenings for several diseases that you can spread through sex, including:

Syphilis

Syphilis is a bacterial infection spread by sexual activity. Without treatment, the infection can lead to organ damage and potentially become life threatening.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a bacterial infection that you can contract and spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. If left untreated, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a liver infection that results from a virus. You can spread it through sexual activity, blood, or other bodily fluids.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a infection that’s spread through vaginal, oral, or anal sex. Without proper treatment, gonorrhea can lead to infertility in both men and women, birth complications, and infections that spread to your joints and other parts of your body.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

HIV is a virus that attacks your immune system and is spread through sexual contact. Without treatment, HIV can progress to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), an incurable, lifetime disease that can cause premature death.

What to expect during an STD screening

There are different ways that we test for sexually transmitted diseases. Most often, our providers will request a blood test or urinalysis to check for signs of infection.

We also offer physical exams to inspect warts or lesions that develop on your genitals or other parts of your body. If you have symptoms like painful urination, you might need diagnostic imaging tests to confirm or rule out an STD.

Our physicians can determine how often you need STD screenings based on your lifestyle, your sexual partners, and your overall health. You should also schedule STD screenings if you’re thinking about becoming pregnant or already are.

If any of your STD tests are positive, we can customize a treatment plan to prevent a worsening of your condition. This might involve a course of antibiotics or antiviral medications to clear the infection. You also need to practice safe sex to prevent spreading the disease to others and to reduce your risk for recurrent infections.

If you haven’t had an STD screening recently and need to schedule one, call the Primary Care Walk-In Clinic nearest you or book an appointment online today. You can also visit the clinic as a walk-in.