How Long Does It Take To Get Std Test Results
STDs or Sexually transmitted diseases are the ones that get passed on from one person to another during anal, vaginal and oral sex. At least 25 different sexually transmitted diseases exist like syphilis, trichomonas, gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes or hepatitis. The most common symptoms are soreness, itching, lumps, pain while urinating and discharge from the genitals. Most STDs can be easily treated but untreated ones can lead to long-term damage like HIV and AIDS. A medical test needs to be conducted on a person to find out the presence of STDs. The tests can be done to check a single infection or for a wide range of diseases.
A STD test can be done for quite a few reasons. It can be a screening test to detect asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic infections, a diagnostic test to determine the cause of illness, as a check before or during pregnancy, to check long-term sexual partners are free of any disease, as a check after the birth of a baby to determine it is free of infection, to prevent the use of infected blood or organs and as a part of mass epidemiological surveillance. A STD infection may become transmissible because of the delay that often occurs between getting infected and getting the test done.
It usually takes about 48 hours to get the results of a STD test. Some tests like the one for syphilis takes about seven to 10 days. HIV test results can be obtained within three days. Chlamydia and gonorrhea test results take about a week. Tests done to check HIV infection can also provide information regarding the presence of some other STDs in the body. A urine and blood sample is usually taken during STD check-up. Symptoms like spots, wounds and sores are also looked into.
However, it is necessary to know that though modern diagnostic methods are used, tests are not always 100 per cent accurate. Often, a test done immediately after catching the infection does not show any result. Sufficient time needs to be given for the infection to reach a level that can be detected by a screening test. In such cases, a second test becomes necessary after a period of time.
The screening procedure for STDs involves three stages: sexual history, physical examination and laboratory tests. A doctor starts a STD check-up by asking various questions about the risk factors faced by the patient. After assessing the type of disease, tests are conducted. Anyone with multiple partners is tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea. Pregnant women, prison inmates and patients already having one STD are tested for syphilis. Depending on the result necessary treatments are started.
It is important to understand that STD testing is not a method of safe sex. The tests serve the purpose of only informing us about the presence of the disease and cannot prevent the spreading, if proper safe sex methods are not pursued. Then again, a test leading to an early detection helps in starting the treatment immediately. Re-screening is also essential for previously infected persons to prevent a relapse of the disease.