First thing to mention is that STDs and STIs are the same thing, just two slightly different terms for the same issue. These terms are interchangeable so don’t worry if you see both being used.
For men who are sexually active, particularly those who have multiple partners, STD testing is an essential part of men’s health.
There are many different types of STD, including gonorrhoea, chlamydia, and syphilis. The key here is in the name, meaning that these diseases are almost exclusively passed on through sexual contact, whether that be vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Using protection can help reduce the risk quite considerably but do remember that even condoms are only 95% safe when it comes to STDs.
Symptoms
Symptoms are varied, ranging from penile discharge and a burning sensation when passing urine, to a mild rash or itching around the genitals. 60% of men will experience some form of symptoms if they have an STD but this means that the remaining 40% have little to no symptoms at all. This is why testing is important because it is the only way to be sure about your STD status.
Learn more about the STD symptoms in men – here
Learn more about penile discharge – here
Find out the risk of contracted Chlamydia – here
Tests
Most STDs can be picked with standard screening. For men this usually involves a urine and a blood test. Urine testing will cover STDs such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia while blood testing will help cover STDs such as syphilis.
In addition to these standard tests, swab tests may be used as well. Swabs can be used for the throat and anus to identify gonorrhoea and chlamydia while swabbing the lips and genitals can help identify herpes.
1) Blood sample
2) Swab
Urine sample
Treatment
Treatment usually depends on diagnosis and confirmation with the above mentioned tests. However, if you are concerned or happen to experience symptoms that indicate an STD, broad cover treatment can start first. Antibiotics can be used for bacterial infections, while antiviral tablets may help with STDs such as herpes.
Follow up
Follow up is performed for one of two reasons. 1) If there is a positive result for one of the curable STDs then we will usually repeat the same test 2 weeks after treatment to ensure that it has been cured. 2) If the initial tests were negative but your symptoms are ongoing, your doctor may choose to repeat a test again to ensure nothing was missed the first time around.
Incurable conditions such as Herpes and HIV will require a different follow up and this is discussed separately on a different article.
This article gives a brief overview on STD screening and treatment. For more detailed information please click on the link here for a full list of STD related articles.
Find out more on HIV Test on our previous blog post here.
Related Articles:
- HIV Testing (F.A.Q) – here
- Learn more about STD Symptoms:
For more questions, please email them at hello@dtapclinic.com.sg to make an appointment today or visit them at www.dtapclinic.com
