If you have symptoms such as genital pain while peeing or unusual genital discharge, you may need to get tested for an STD infection. According to the World Health Organization, at least a million sexually transmitted infections occur every day, the majority being asymptomatic.
People who delay getting timely treatment for STDs risk complications such as infertility, heart diseases, certain cancers, and brain damage. Therefore, consider taking a test if you’ve symptoms or are at high risk of an STD infection.
If you want to know your status within your busy schedule, consider visiting a trusted urgent care center for a quick and convenient STD test.
Types of STD Tests Available in Urgent Care Facilities
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is one of the prevalent sexually transmitted diseases. It occurs when bacteria is spread after having vaginal, oral, or anal sex with an infected person. A healthcare provider looks for chlamydia bacteria in a fluid sample from your body.
Sample used in the chlamydia test include:
- Urine
- A fluid swabbed from the vagina, urethra, or rectum
Gonorrhea
The gonorrhea bacteria primarily infects genitalia but may also infect the rectum, throat, eyes, and other body parts.
A healthcare provider looks for traces of gonorrhea bacteria in the following samples:
- Urine
- A fluid swab from the infected body parts, including the vagina, throat, rectum, and urethra
A gonorrhea test serves the following purpose:
- Diagnose or rule out gonorrhea when you have symptoms
- Screen for an infection when you don’t have symptoms but may be exposed to the bacteria
Syphilis, HIV, and Hepatitis
Health experts recommend people aged 15-65 years be tested at least once in their lifetime for HIV. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends yearly testing of HIV for people at high risk.
Further, health experts recommend people aged 18 years and above take at least one test for hepatitis B.
All adults should also take hepatitis C screening.
If you have the following risk factors, talk to a healthcare provider about testing for HIV, Syphilis, or Hepatitis:
- Men who have sex with men
- If you’re pregnant or planning to be pregnant
- Symptoms of infection
- If you’ve been to jail or prison
- If you have more than one sexual partner or with a partner with more than one sexual partner
- A newly diagnosed hepatitis C infection
Genital Herpes
Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted disease caused by herpes simplex virus(HSV). The HSV test looks for herpes simplex virus in a blood sample or swab from a sore. Healthcare experts recommend genital herpes testing for people with symptoms and other risk factors.
A blood test can tell whether you’ve had a past genital herpes infection.
Other STD Tests Available in Urgent Care Centers
- Human Papillomavirus HPV
- Trichomoniasis (Trich)
Get a Quick and Reliable STD Test Today
If you’ve symptoms or are at high risk of infection, taking an STD test is the right step to protect your health and loved ones.
While Newport Urgent Care & Occupational Medicine provides treatment for STDs, they do not offer testing services. After obtaining your test results, you can contact Newport Urgent Care for treatment options.
Contact us online or call us at 949.284.2813 to book an appointment.
