At Home STD Testing

Myth: You will be able to see if your partner has an STD.

Fact: STDs often have no signs or symptoms. In most cases, you cannot tell that someone has an STD simply by looking at them. This goes for doctors as well. Many STDs only show up on tests. STDs can be transmitted by individuals who have no visible outbreak or symptoms, and who feel perfectly fine.

Myth: Only people who cheat or who are "trashy" get STDS.
Fact: People from all different backgrounds get STDs. STDs are equal opportunity. It does not matter if you are young, old, rich, or poor. If you are having unprotected sex then you are at risk of getting infected. The only way to know if you are not infected is if you get tested or if you are completely abstinent.

Myth: You can't catch STDs by having oral sex.
Fact: Transmission rates for STDs are just as high for those who have oral sex, as for those who have vaginal sex. You can reduce your risk of getting an STD through the use of condoms or dental dams.

Myth: You can catch STDs from a toilet seat or HIV through casual contact.
Fact: In general, STDs do not survive long outside of the human body so they cannot be transferred from a toilet seat. HIV is not passed through kissing, touching, or casual contact. HIV is spread through bodily fluids. Other STDs such as syphilis can be spread through skin to skin contact when an actively infected sore comes in contact with moist areas such as the mouth, or sensitive areas of the skin with cuts or rashes.

Myth: You can only get an STD one time.
Fact: If you've been treated and cured for an STD and continue to have unprotected sex, there is still a chance you can get infected again. STDs such as HIV are with you your entire life once infected. Others such as chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea can be cured. However, once cured you must protect yourself in order to avoid getting reinfected. Always make sure your partner is treated if you have been diagnosed with an STD. It's also noteworthy to know that each time a woman is reinfected with an STD such as chlamydia it causes more damage to her reproductive tract.

Chlamydia is widely considered one of the most common STDs in the United States. It is also one of the most untreated and undiagnosed STDs as there are often no symptoms. The rate of infection amongst women is almost 3 times higher than men. Thus, it is recommended that all sexually active women under the age of 25 get tested for Chlamydia yearly. Sexually active men should also be tested regularly as women are often reinfected by their partners when they go untreated.

If untreated, Chlamydia can cause infertility and other reproductive health complications in women. Men may have discharge or burning when they urinate. Or they may have itching and burning around the tip of the penis. The good news is that if detected, Chlamydia is easily treated and cured with antibiotics.

The CDC estimates that upwards of one million Americans are living with HIV/AIDS. One in five people who are living with HIV are not aware that they have the disease. There are about 50,000 new cases of HIV each year.

Routine HIV testing is recommended for all sexually active adults. Populations who are at higher risk, such as those with multiple partners, intravenous drug users, men who have sex with other men and sex workers, should get tested for HIV and STDs more often. If you are concerned about recent exposure, you should also seek testing for HIV.

1) You have had sex with more than one partner in the last year without a condom.
2) You have had sex and are unsure how safe it was.
3) You have had oral sex without a condom or a dental dam.
4) You have noticed something that does not look or feel right on your body.
5) You are unsure if the condom you used broke or slipped off during sex.
6) You are not 100% sure if you or your partner is STD free.
7) You have had an STD in the past, and are currently sexually active.

We all know that it can be uncomfortable to talk to others about our sexual health. It is a private matter, and it can be tough to gain the courage to walk into our doctors office for an STD screening. Fortunately, there is now a very accurate home STD test for all of the most common STDs. GetSTDtested.com makes it a very simple process to receive anonymous, private testing from home. They have individual tests for all of the following STDS:

- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- HIV
- Syphilis
- Oral and Genital HSV (herpe s)
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Trichomoniasis

Once your home testing kit is ordered, you will receive an unmarked package in the mail with the kit and instructions. They provide you with a pre-paid package to deliver back to their lab. You should get the test results 1-5 business days after they arrive back to their lab. GetSTDtested.com has certified STD counselors to answer questions. Furthermore, they have in house physicians to prescribe antibiotics if you test positive for curable STDs, and also to be a resource if you test positive for HIV or other incurable diseases. Most of the tests start around $90, which can be up to 50% less than a typical doctor's visit with lab tests. They make sure to include the fact that all tests are confidential and do not show up on insurance records.

STDs are much more common than we think. With upwards of 20 million new cases each year, it is wise to take as many precautions as possible to prevent and treat STDs so they do not go undetected and continue to be spread. It is estimated that 50% of all sexually active Americans will get an STD by the time they're in their mid 20's. STDs can cause irreversible damage if they go untreated. They can take a toll on you physically and psychologically. It is better to get tested than to put your partner at risk. Also, it can provide great peace of mind knowing whether you do or do not have an STD. If you do happen to contract an STD then knowledge is power. It is important to treat STDs as soon as possible. If you have an incurable STD there are many resources available to live a productive, healthy, and happy life. Getting tested is the first step.

Is free STD testing actually free? Often times free STD testing clinics have a sliding fee scale based on your income. In addition, there are generally long wait times at these clinics and as we all know time is money. It may take up to one week to receive an appointment at your local clinic. The results from free STD test clinics can sometimes take weeks to obtain. Another downside is that most free STD test clinics do not provide a test for the Herpe s Simplex Virus. Typically it is just a visual test, which is not as accurate as a paid laboratory test. You do not need an appointment for home STD tests, you can avoid long office wait times by ordering and completing the test in the comfort of your own home. A home STD test is truly anonymous and you can avoid large crowds at local clinics. You save more time waiting for your results - the results of STD testing from home are returned in 1-5 business days rather than an average of 2 weeks at a free clinic.