When it comes to your health, you don’t want to wait around for the worst-case scenario to occur. It’s best to take preventative action, including regular checkups for sexually transmitted diseases. Untreated STDs, even without symptoms, can cause serious and long-lasting complications. You can schedule an STD test with your general practitioner, but you may need treatment sooner than you can get an appointment with your doctor. So, when is it necessary to go to an urgent care center for STD testing, and what can you expect from your visit?
When To Visit An Urgent Care Center For STD symptoms
Urgent care centers treat many illnesses, including STDs. You may not want to wait until symptoms are severe to visit an urgent care center for testing – urgent care may be more effective, faster, and cheaper than an appointment with your primary physician. Experiencing pain or a burning sensation while urinating or colored discharge are among the STD symptoms you should not wait to treat.
What Happens During an STD Test
When you go to an urgent care center for an STD, the doctor will start by asking if you are experiencing any symptoms. If you are, the doctor will conduct a physical exam - a pelvic exam for females or a genital exam for males. They will check for signs of an STD, such as blisters and bumps.
The doctor will also collect samples to test for STDs. These may include urine samples, drawing a small amount of blood, or a throat, genital, or anal swab. You might be able to get a diagnosis from your physical exam, but in most cases, the samples must go to a lab for confirmation. It usually takes several days for the lab results to return, and the urgent care center will call you with the results. If you receive an STD diagnosis, you will need to return to the urgent care center for treatment.
Treatment Options Available For Positive STD Results
STD treatment depends on the diagnosis. Bacterial infections like chlamydia and gonorrhea are typically treated with a prescription for antibiotics. You should follow the antibiotics instructions and finish the entire course of treatment, even if symptoms disappear after a few doses. Get tested again three months after finishing the antibiotics to make sure the infection is gone and a second round of treatment isn’t needed.
Genital herpes is a viral STD that cannot be cured, but it can be treated. Taking antiviral drugs can limit outbreaks, reduce symptoms, and reduce the risk of passing the disease to sexual partners. The risk can never be eliminated though, so safe sex is always necessary.
HIV is another viral STD, but instead of antiviral drugs, it is often treated with antiretroviral therapy. HIV medications can slow the progression of the disease, reduce symptoms, and reduce the risk of passing the disease to others. As with genital herpes, the risk of transmission can never be eliminated, so safe sex is always necessary.
