How Long Do STD Tests Take
So, you had unprotected sex, and now you’re wondering if you have contracted STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease). You’re probably feeling some symptoms—perhaps, a rash, an itch, or an unusual discharge. And even if you don’t have any symptoms, unprotected sex can do this to you still. The best thing to do here is to take an STD test.
How Long Does an STD Test Take?
STD tests are quick and painless. You can even do it at home by yourself. Or in some cases, STD tests can be free as well.
Your doctor may be able to tell immediately if you have STD. However, some tests may take a few days or weeks to return from the lab. On the other hand, some clinics do rapid testing for HIV, in which you can get your results in about 20 minutes.
What Type of STD Test Should You Take?
There are different types of STDs, and only a doctor can help you figure out which tests you need. To do that, you need to tell your doctor about your symptoms, history of STD, the number of people you’ve had sex with, the kind of sexual contact you had, how often you use protection, and other things you think are necessary to put on the table. That’s why you need to be honest and open to your doctor or nurse.
What Happens During the Test?
As mentioned, STD tests are quick and easy. STD has its own test; it may be through a urine test, a cheek swab, blood test, physical exam, testing the sores, or getting a bit of your discharge to have it tested.
It all depends on your symptoms, really. And even if you don’t have any symptoms, you can still get tested for it, especially if you suspect that you may have contracted the disease.
What to Keep in Mind
STD testing isn’t perfect; even if you have waited enough for it to work, there is still a chance of ending up with a false positive or false negative.
Also, we mentioned that there are different STD tests. For one, tests that look for the pathogen should become positive faster because pathogens are there from the start of the infection. However, this type of test will need samples from an infected location, which isn’t always that easy to come by.
Fortunately, new tools have developed a more reliable urine testing for certain STDs, such as gonorrhea and chlamydia.
There are also blood tests that look for antibodies. However, timing is crucial here because the immune system should first react to the infection to produce detectable levels of antibodies for a blood test to work. That said, different types of antibodies peak at other times after infection; and in some cases, this can be used to determine how long a person has been infected with an STD.
Overall, STD tests are quick and easy, but it will still depend on the type of tests recommended for you. Should you test positive, you can get your STD treated online at CureDose.com.
