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STD Testing Q & A
by Behnam Kashanchi, MDWhat Are STD Treatments?
STD treatments include a host of procedures that are used to treat various sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Often, STDs and STIs can be treated with medication or non-invasive procedures.
What Is the Difference Between STDs and STIs?
STDs and STIs are almost synonymous. STDs used to be the primary term to describe sexually transmitted infections, and it’s still a common term. In recent years, medical professionals have also begun using the term STIs, because infections sometimes don’t show evidence any symptoms of disease.
How Are STDs Diagnosed?
Because of the many different types of STDs (or STIs), several different tests are used to diagnose them. The test used depends on which STDs are suspected:
- a urine sample is usually used to test for gonorrhea and chlamydia
- a blood sample is used to test for syphilis, hepatitis, and HIV
- swabbing the anus or genitals is typically used to test for herpes
If the doctor thinks a patient may have several of these STDs, he may order multiple tests.
What Is an STD Treatment Appointment Like?
Seeing a doctor for an STD treatment is a lot like going to a physician for any other medical infection or disease. The appointment will typically begin with preliminaries, such as getting a patient’s height, weight, vital signs and medical history. The doctor will usually perform an exam, discuss the treatment with the patient, administer any recommended treatments and prescribe any required medications. The entire appointment usually only takes part of a day.
Like all medical appointments, everything related to a patient’s STD treatment is kept in strict confidence. The doctor and staff are only legally able to discuss a particular patient’s STD treatment with the people to whom the patient grants permission. Typically, doctors request permission to discuss a patient’s treatment with their insurer and other medical providers. No one else needs to know, however, if a patient doesn’t want them to.
