STD Testing
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Dr. Van Tran Family Practice
Family Medicine located in Houston, TX
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) often don’t cause obvious symptoms at an early stage, so they’re not diagnosed. When STDs go untreated, they can progress to cause serious health problems, such as pelvic inflammatory disease. The team at Dr. Van Tran Family Practice offers quick-and-easy STD testing at affordable self-pay prices for those who don’t have insurance. Everyone who’s sexually active is at risk for an STD. To schedule testing, call the office in Houston or book an appointment online.
STD Testing Q & A
What are the most common STDs?
Sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise. Cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are at an all-time high, with syphilis increasing 36% among women and 15% among men in 2016.
Anyone who has sex is at risk for any of these STDs:
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Syphilis
- Genital herpes
- Trichomoniasis
- Viral hepatitis
- HIV/AIDS
HPV is the most common STD. Although your immune system clears away most HPV infections, it can cause genital warts, cervical cancer, penile cancer, and anal cancer.
Undiagnosed STDs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, may cause future problems of pelvic inflammatory disease or infertility. A pregnant woman can pass an untreated STD infection to her baby.
What are the symptoms of STDs?
You may not have symptoms for weeks or months after exposure to an STD, and when it appears, it may be hard to notice. Your symptoms may show up briefly and then go away, or they could mimic the generic symptoms of other health problems.
For example, the first symptoms of syphilis are a few small, painless sores that heal and disappear in a few weeks. The bacteria, however, stays dormant in your system and causes health problems down the road.
If you develop symptoms, you’re most likely to experience:
- Sores or bumps on and around your genitals or thighs
- Discharge from the vagina or penis
- Burning during urination
- Itching, pain, and/or swelling of the vagina, vulva, or penis
- Flu-like symptoms (fever, body aches, fatigue)
It’s important to know that even if you don’t have symptoms, you can still pass the infection to your partner.
What type of testing is used to diagnose STDs?
The team at Dr. Van Tran Family Practice tests for all the common STDs. With a lab in their building, your results are available quickly, often within three days. They also offer affordable self-pay rates if you don’t have insurance.
Testing for STDs consists of a simple blood or urine test, or swab samples from any discharge or oozing sores. Dr. Tran may also perform a physical exam to check for warts, sores, or rashes.
With the exception of viral infections (HPV and HIV), all other STDs are easy to treat with antibiotics when they’re diagnosed at an early stage, so don’t wait to get STD testing. Call Dr. Van Tran Family Practice or book an appointment online.
