Sexually-transmitted diseases cause few symptoms in their early stages, making it easy to pass an infection from one person to another. Drs. Teresa and Jenny Tam of All for Women Healthcare in Chicago and Skokie, Illinois, provide patients from throughout the nearby area with STD testing to help identify diseases in their earliest stages so treatment can be initiated as quickly as possible.
Many sexually-transmitted diseases cause few or no symptoms until they’ve progressed to more serious stages, which is why having regular STD testing is so important. Depending on the type of STD that’s present and how far it’s progressed, symptoms can include:
Generally speaking, anyone who is sexually active should have STD testing performed once each year, and those who participate in risky sexual behavior such as having multiple partners or having unprotected sex should be tested more often – at least every three to six months, according to recommendations from the U.S. Department of Health. STD testing is also a good idea for women who are pregnant to identify diseases that could be passed on to the baby either during birth or while still in the uterus. Regular testing is important because many diseases cause few or no symptoms in their early stages when they may be most easily treated. Plus, having regular STD testing helps prevent the disease from being transmitted unwittingly from one person to another.
STD testing can be performed using different methods, including visual examination, pelvic exams, blood tests, and urine tests. In some cases, a small tissue sample may be taken for testing in a lab.
While all STDs can be treated and managed, not all diseases can be cured. For instance, HIV infection or genital warts caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) cannot be cured, but these and similar conditions can be managed with medications, routine office visits, minimally-invasive procedures, and other methods. Many other STDs can be effectively treated or cured with medications like antibiotics.
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