One of the best ways to have safer sex is to know your sexual health status. But how does one go about that? Between urine and blood tests and physical exams, there are many ways that someone can be tested for STIs. And how do you know which STIs to be tested for if you are asymptomatic? In this post, we break down how to get tested, what to look out for, and why it matters.

TL;DR📚

What: Sexually Transmitted Infection/Disease (STI/STD) Screening
When: Annually for sexually active people, ideally between each new sexual partner, and whenever you’re experiencing symptoms
Where: At a medical facility, at home, at mobile testing facilities or nonprofits
How: Typically via a blood and urine sample, sometimes may include a swab from your cheek, throat, vagina, anus, vulva, penis, urethra, or from any sores you may have

What Are STIs and STDs?

While used interchangeably, there are some differences between STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) and STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases). While some infections that are considered STIs can be passed between people in other ways, like through non-sexual kissing or from parent to child during pregnancy, they are considered sexually transmitted when the primary way they are transmitted is through sexual contact. An STI becomes an STD when it is symptomatic. Many people with STIs never know they have them, which is why it’s so important to get tested! Whatever term you use, our goals are to reduce shame and stigma and encourage people to have healthier, more liberating, and more pleasurable sex lives.

Which STIs Should I Be Tested For?

A typical annual STI screening will test for the most common STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HPV for people with vaginas/cervixes. HIV testing is recommended for all sexually active people at least once, and more often (every 3 to 6 months) for people in higher-risk groups including cis and trans men who have sex with men, transgender people, sex workers, and people who inject drugs. If you’re not sure whether it’s time to be tested, try this helpful quiz from Planned Parenthood.

You should also be tested if you’re experiencing any common symptoms for STIs including unusual discharge from your vagina or penis, burning during urination, itching, irritation, or sores of the genitals, bleeding or pain during vaginal sex, or pain in your lower belly. This is one reason it’s so important to get familiar with your body, so that you can know when something is up.

It’s important to discuss your sexual activity and risk factors with a medical professional who can help you decide which STIs to be screened for. They can also inform you how long after a sexual encounter to be tested, aka the incubation period. It varies by infection, but all STIs require at least a few days after exposure to show up on a test.

How Will I Be Tested?

It depends. Most STI tests will take the form of a blood test, a urine sample, or an oral swab. If you are symptomatic for certain STIs like HPV with genital warts or HSV 1 or 2 (herpes), doctors will sometimes diagnose via a physical exam but it is a good idea to request a swab of the affected area to confirm the diagnosis. Some STIs, like trichomoniasis (or “trich”) can be diagnosed with a swab of the vagina or penis.

Where Do I Go To Get A Test?

If you have a primary care provider (PCP), they can test you or refer you to lab. If you don’t have a PCP, you have a few options. You can order an at-home kit from a site like Let’s Get Checked, which is a simple and discrete way to get tested, but may have a higher rate of false positives and negatives due to human error. You can also order a test directly through an FDA-approved lab like STDCheck.com and go in person to be tested.

For free and low-cost testing options, check out your local health department and LGBT centers. Most health departments will test for gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, and HIV. Planned Parenthood is also a great resource for free or low-cost testing. Here’s a comprehensive guide to testing resources in each state.

What If I Get A Positive Result?

Many STIs are curable and all are treatable. Your doctor will follow-up with you about the next steps, which often include a round of antibiotics. It is important to follow-up, as an untreated STI can not only lead to discomfort but other complications like a higher likelihood of developing other STIs, infertility, and certain cancers. For incurable STIs like herpes or STIs that the body fights on its own like low-risk strains of HPV, talk with a medical professional about what your management options are. They can vary from anti-viral treatment to suppress your viral load to taking a multivitamin with folic acid to boost your immune system.

You should also come up with a plan to disclose to your partner(s) so that they can get tested as well and tell any other partner(s) they may have. Disclosure may be scary but it is key to keeping others safe by practicing informed consent. Sharing your status with your partner(s) can also open up a healthy conversation about breaking down STI stigma. Our friend Tricia has amazing resources about disclosure through her own journey destigmatizing HSV.

The Bottom Line

STIs can seem overwhelming, but knowing your status can empower you to have the safest (and hottest!!) sex possible. It is an aspect of self love and self care to attend to preventative healthcare measures. And the sooner you know your status, the sooner you can have peace of mind (and also more orgasms).

Sources

1. Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sexually-transmitted-diseases-stds/in-depth/std-testing/art-20046019
2. CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/std/prevention/screeningreccs.htm
3. I Wanna Know: http://www.iwannaknow.org/teens/sti/testing.html
4. Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-sex/sti-vs-std

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