STI Testing
STI testing is extremely important to protect your sexual health. If you have had unprotected sex, it is vital that you take an STI test to ensure you have not contracted any sexually transmitted infections that could cause you serious health problems in the future. Taking an STI test will be able to tell you which STI, if any, you have contracted, which in turn will enable you to seek the treatment you need to clear a bacterial infection or to manage potential future outbreaks of a viral infection. Taking an STI test will not just ensure that you are better able to protect your own sexual health, but also that of any sexual partners you may have in the future.
What kind of STI tests are available?
The STI tests that are available are almost 100% accurate and the process of STI testing is extremely easy. All you need to do is order the test online, for example, at our partner site LabsDirect.com, and the test kit will be sent to you. The majority of STI tests require you to provide a urine sample and send it to the laboratory, where it will be analysed and tested, with the results returned to you in as little as two or three days. Your privacy is also guaranteed, as your results will only be available for you to view in a secure member’s area. If your test returns a positive result, you will be given information on what treatments are available to you.
Other tests take the form of a swab test. These tests are undertaken in the same way as above, except you will be sent a swab rather than a transport cup, which you will need to use to collect a sample from the legion at the genital area or from inside the vagina, depending on the STI you are testing for. This swab is then sent back to the laboratory.
What STIs can be detected through STI testing?
It is possible to detect nine of the most common STIs with these kinds of STI tests, which are chlamydia, gonorrhoea, bacterial vaginosis, trichomonas vaginalis, ureaplasma urealyticum, non-specific urethritis, mycoplasma genitalium, syphilis and genital herpes.
Why doesn’t STI testing detect all STIs?
This is unfortunately not possible as some STIs can only be diagnosed following an examination by a doctor. This includes genital warts, for example. Other STIs, like hepatitis B and HIV, require a blood test which should be administered by a doctor in a clinical environment.
What should I do if I want to buy an STI test?
If you are experiencing symptoms and would like to take a test, you should visit our partner site LabsDirect.com, where you will be able to buy the home tests described above. We also advise that you take a test if you have had unprotected sex even if you are not displaying any symptoms. You should bear in mind that many STIs are completely asymptomatic, so the only way to know you are infected is to take a test.
