If you’ve had unprotected sex, you want to know if you have an infection. Unfortunately, it can be hard to tell. STDs have an incubation period, and they take time to multiply before showing up on a test or causing symptoms.
You’ll need to provide a urine sample or cheek swab for most screenings. These tests can be done in a few minutes.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease that may cause painful or itchy discharge from the vagina, penis or anus. It also causes pelvic inflammatory disease and can lead to infertility if left untreated. Chlamydia can be spread through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex. It is the most commonly reported STD in the United States.
Symptoms of chlamydia in the vulva or genital area typically appear within a few days after exposure to the bacteria. However, it can take weeks to a few months for symptoms to appear in the throat if you have contracted chlamydia through oral sex.
Chlamydia can be treated with antibiotics. It is important to test all sexual partners after treatment and not have unprotected sex until the medicine clears the infection. It is also important to continue taking antibiotics until the doctor tells you to stop. It is also a good idea to get tested again three months after treatment to ensure the infection is completely cleared. This is especially important for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. A woman who has chlamydia during pregnancy can pass it to her baby and may experience complications for the newborn, including blindness and pneumonia.
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is caused by bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. It spreads through vaginal, anal, or oral sex and can also infect a person’s eyes, throat, or joints. Men can also pass gonorrhea to their partners by touching an infected area on their penis. Women can give the bacteria to their babies during a vaginal delivery, although they can’t transmit it through a C-section.
Symptoms of gonorrhea usually appear within 2 to 30 days after exposure. However, a few people don’t experience symptoms at all. Burning or pain during urination is a common symptom.
A rapid test can detect gonorrhea in urine. It can take several days for results to come back from a lab, but some clinics may be able to provide test results sooner than that. Doctors can also test a sample of discharge from the penis. They’ll swab the area to collect a sample and send it to a lab for testing. If a swab tests positive for gonorrhea, doctors will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. They’ll also check the swab for resistance to antibiotics.
Hepatitis C
If you have a sexual relationship, it’s important to get tested for STIs often. These infections can live in the body for years without causing symptoms. Untreated STIs can cause serious health problems, including pelvic inflammatory disease and cancer.
Some STIs are easier to treat if they’re caught early, and some can even be prevented with regular STI screenings. The first thing to know is that each STI has its own incubation period, which is how long it takes for the infection to show up in testing.
This is the time it takes for your immune system to start preparing antibodies to fight off the infection. Getting test results before the incubation period ends is a common mistake that can lead to inaccurate results.
The best way to prevent this mistake is by practicing safe sex, which can reduce your risk of contracting an STI. You should also get tested for STIs regularly, every 3 to 6 months. This will help you stay healthy and protect your partners, too. Getting tested regularly is especially important if you have an open or non-monogamy relationship, a history of STIs, or other risk factors.
Syphilis
Syphilis is a very serious disease that can lead to serious, life-threatening health problems. It can be spread through unprotected sex. It can also be passed from an infected mother to her child during pregnancy or childbirth.
The first sign of syphilis is a painless ulcer called a chancre, usually in the genital area or in the mouth. But it can also appear on other parts of the body, like the anus or vulva. The sores can heal quickly, making them hard to spot or identify. The last stage of syphilis is when the bacteria move to the brain and nervous system, causing a severe, painful, and sometimes fatal illness.
Getting tested and treated for syphilis is the best way to prevent the spread of the infection. Doctors use penicillin to treat all stages of syphilis, and it usually cures the disease. But if you are allergic to penicillin, your doctor can give you a different type of antibiotic. The treatment for syphilis typically includes weekly doses of the drug over several weeks. You’ll need to return for a follow-up appointment 6 and 12 weeks after starting treatment to confirm that the drug has fully worked.
Herpes
Most STIs won’t be detectable on an STD test right away, which is why it’s important to know the incubation periods for each infection. Some STIs like herpes will show up on an STD test in the first 14 days after sexual contact, but others will take longer.
Herpes can cause painful sores in or around the genital area, anus, or mouth. These sores are called outbreaks, and they can also cause tingling or itching in these areas. The first outbreak of herpes is often accompanied by flu-like symptoms, such as fever and swollen glands.
During an outbreak, herpes sores usually appear as one or more blisters in or around the affected area. The blisters will then break and eventually heal without leaving a scar. Some people experience recurring outbreaks with herpes, but they become less severe over time.
Other STIs, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and syphilis, can have long latency periods, meaning they may go unnoticed for months or even years. They’re still infectious, though, and can lead to serious health issues if they’re not treated.
