Are you getting your medical checkup annually? Do you know if STD tests are included in it? It is hard to detect STI (sexually transmitted infections) by yourself. People often think that they would know it if they are infected and neglect getting tested. The truth is most of the STD’s are symptom-free or camouflage with mild symptoms for many years and do not show any signs. If you want to know about STD infection for sure, the only way is to get tested. On visiting a hospital for a medical check-up ask your practitioner to include STD tests in your blood report.
When to get an STD test?
Are you sexually active? If yes, and if you have more than one sexual partner or if you are having unprotected sex then it is good to get STD tests done. It is necessary to get testing done if you have doubts about being infected even if you have a committed sexual partner (possibility of infection from your partner). It is ideal to get STD tests before starting a new relationship to ensure that both you and your partner are safe. It is unwise to assume that you do not have STD. taking to a doctor will clear all doubts surrounding STDs.
The most common STIs are Chlamydia, HIV, Herpes, Gonorrhea, Trichomoniasis, HPV, and Syphilis. STD screening Singapore is fast and painless. If you are shy to ask your regular practitioner, go to a nearby clinic. The sample may be collected as a urine sample, blood sample or swab from the genital areas. Sexually transmitted diseases will lead to severe health problems like cancer, organ failure, and infertility when left untreated. There is a lot of stigma surrounding STD’s and people ignore it without talking to a physician. People get discouraged to talk about them or get tested.
Sexual health
It is necessary to take care of sexual health. Feeling shy about talking does not heal you. If you observe any symptoms of infection, consult a doctor. Being honest with yourself and your doctor will have benefits. It will improve the chances of receiving the right treatment on time. Pregnant women should get mandatory STD tests and screening to make sure both mother and fetus are safe from infections. Another scenario where STD testing is mandatory is when you are forced to have intercourse or abused or been a victim of sexual assault.
If STD tests are not accurate with a urine sample or blood sample, a swab is taken from the genital area. Some test results show negative in the initial stages, so get periodical tests if you have doubts that you may be infected. The swabs which are used to collect samples from genital areas are sent for analysis. Some of the sexually transmitted infections like herpes and genital warts are diagnosed with physical examinations and combination tests. Explain your sexual history to your physician to understand what tests are needed to check for sexually transmitted diseases. Get appropriate treatment if you find the results to be positive.
HIV screening
A large number of people in the world do not know about HIV tests. AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) manifests with HIV and weakens the immune system of the patient. There are a lot of scenarios for individuals to get HIV. It is transmitted through body fluids when you have sex with more than one partner, shared injection needles, and breast milk from mom to baby. Most of the infected people do not have any idea as the symptoms are mild and do not appear actively for many years. Periodical HIV screening will show results about the HIV stages.
Does HIV testing help patients?
Yes, patients that get tested and find positive results will opt for HIV treatment to live a healthier life than untreated patients. It also serves as a prevention treatment as patients restrict themselves from spreading the infection if they are aware of their status. The risk of transmitting the infection to others is considerably reduced and pregnant moms with HIV can take proper medication to stop the infection from affecting the fetus. The chances of transmission to the baby are reduced to 1% after the treatment of pregnant women with HIV infection.
HIV testing is done by drawing the patient’s blood or taking a urine sample or mouth swab. An antibody or immunoassay test is enough to detect antibodies of HIV. This test can be done at a clinic or at-home kit. Antibody detection is possible just after a few weeks of infection. Antigen tests can also be done at 1 week to 1month of infection to detect HIV. Follow-up tests are recommended once the antigen-antibody tests come back positive. There are different stages of infection by HIV with AIDS being the final and advanced stage. Testing will only reveal the stage of infection but does not shed light on the period of infection.
HIV screening Singapore offers confidential testing and reports. After getting a positive result, the patient gets overwhelmed with many questions and doubts. Remember that HIV infection is a manageable disease even though it cannot be eradicated. It is important to work closely with a medical practitioner to treat your disease. Taking medication from the early stages will keep the disease at bay without crippling the patient in the final stages. Get counseling on HIV infection, how to deal with the disease and stigma surrounding it and how to stop it from spreading to others.
A baseline evaluation test is done to see if the patient is ready to start HIV treatment. The baseline evaluation includes CD4 count to see how the infection is progressing, virus load and drug resistance testing. Drug resistance testing will help to understand the HIV strain and how it responds to prescribed medication. Patients have to be prepared mentally and understand that HIV medication should be taken for life to fight the virus. Patients should consider their overall health to get better to survive their condition. Get support from your family while dealing with any disease.
