Are you or have you been sexually active in your past? If so, you may want to consider being tested for a sexually transmitted disease, or STD. Unfortunately, while many people assume that they would know if they have contracted an STD, most won’t because these things often go undetected until they are in a later stage of the disease. Why is this? Well, many STDs don’t always exhibit signs or symptoms, and if they do, they are often mild enough to escape being noticed.
This is good to know because your annual medical checkup doesn’t typically include testing for STDs unless you ask for it. Common STDs that you might want to test for include HIV, herpes, HPV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis.
When is a good time to come in for testing?
– You have multiple sexual partners
– You are about to start a relationship with a new partner
– Your partner has had multiple partners or has engaged in sexual activities while being with you
– You and your partner(s) are not planning on using condoms
– You suspect you may have an STD
– You or your partner has never been tested for an STD
If you are at risk of an STD and you opt out of testing, you might incur severe health problems down the road. Untreated sexually transmitted diseases can cause damage to vital organs, blindness, cancer, infertility and even death. Also keep in mind that you might be one of the 20 million new people found to have STDs in the U.S. Remember, testing is the only way to know for certain if you are one of them.
Fortunately, our doctor, Dr. John Abroon understands your concerns and recommends that patients who are sexually active come in to be tested once or twice each year. As a board-certified general practitioner who specializes in diagnostic and preventative medicine, Dr. Abroon is ready to help you protect yourself and your partner.
Just one sobering statistic, according to the CDC, more than one out of every six people aged 14 to 49 years have genital herpes. But if you find yourself with any of the following symptoms, you have definitely contracted a sexually transmitted disease requiring immediate medical treatment:
– You have a burning sensation when you urinate.
– You have a colored discharge from your penis which can appear white, yellow, or green.
– You have swelling in your testicles.
– You have open sores or warts on your genitals.
– Your vaginal fluid is discolored.
– Your vagina has an unusual vaginal flow.
– Your testicles are itching.
– You are having problems with your immune system.
If you are sexually active and you live in the New York, New York area, we encourage you to come in and get tested for STDs. Our doctor tests for a variety of major sexually transmitted diseases, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, syphilis, genital herpes, HPV, etc. Dr. Abroon has access to the latest medical information and can also provide patients with trusted doctor recommendations. We look forward to helping you take better care of your health!