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STD’s/STI’s are preventable
STD/STIs are a significant health challenge facing the United States and these challenges are rising. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that nearly 20 million new sexually transmitted infections occur every year in this country and half of those are among young people ages 15–24. In addition to increasing a person’s risk for HIV infection, STD/STIs can lead to severe reproductive health complications, such as PID, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are the two most commonly reported STD/STIs in the U.S.
STD/STI Screening
STD/STIs are a significant health challenge facing the United States. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that nearly 20 million new sexually transmitted infections occur every year in this country and half of those are among young people ages 15–24. In addition to increasing a person’s risk for HIV infection, STD/STIs can lead to severe reproductive health complications, such as infertility and ectopic pregnancy. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are the two most commonly reported STD/STIs in the U.S.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea
Most people who have chlamydia and gonorrhea don’t know it since the disease often has no symptoms. Chlamydia is the single most commonly reported STD/STIs in the United States.
Infection can be present in the genitals (vagina and penis/testicles), throat, and rectum, depending on choice of sexual activity and infectious fluid transfer.
Symptoms include: no symptoms, pain during intercourse, abnormal vaginal/penile discharge, burning sensation during urination, pain/swelling to genitals, rectal pain, rectal discharge, rectal itching, painful bowel movements, rectal/vaginal bleeding.
Anyone who is sexually active can get gonorrhea. It can be cured with the right medication, and if left untreated, gonorrhea can cause serious health problems in both women and men.
What’s the big deal?
Although Chlamydia and gonorrhea are easy to treat, they can make it difficult to achieve pregnancy if left untreated and lead to a wealth of other direct health and indirect mental health problems. Treatment will not undo any permanent damage caused by the disease. It is becoming harder to treat some gonorrhea, as drug-resistant strains of gonorrhea are increasing. Untreated, about 10-15% of women with chlamydia and gonorrhea will develop a life-long complication of pelvic inflammatory disease
How do I know if I should be tested?
The CDC recommends testing if you have the symptoms above, and/or any sexually active persons 25 years old and younger for chlamydia and gonorrhea each year. Persons 25 years old and older need to also be tested if they are symptomatic or depending on certain risk factors (i.e., new partner, multiple partners, or someone with a past history of STI’s, or currently being treated for one).
What can I expect during my appointment?
You will meet with a Licensed Registered Nurse who will take your sexual and medical history information, allergies, discuss your STD/STI risk, provide risk-elimination and reduction education, as well as healthy relationship formation tips, and answer any questions or concerns you might have. This is when you will provide a urine sample. The sample will be sent out to a lab for testing.
First Visit
You will meet with a Licensed Registered Nurse who will take your sexual history information, discuss your STD/STI risk, explain procedures and answer any questions or concerns you might have. This is when you will provide a urine sample. The sample will be sent out to a lab for testing.
Second Visit
No more than a week later, you will return to our office for your results. You will meet with our Licensed Registered Nurse to go over all your test results and answer any questions you might have, revisit risk-elimination and reduction education, as well as healthy relationship formation tips. If you have a positive test result, we can provide treatment on site at that time, as well as referrals for other types of testing at clinics like ours, which we always recommend because of our limited scope – think of a us a bridge to better health and healthier relationships!
At this time, we only have the capacity to test and treat for both Chlamydia and Gonorrhea from biological female genital sources through urine. Regardless of the gender of your partner, presumptive treatment is available at no-cost with a scheduled visit with the Nurse. Your partner does not have to come with you, but they will need some form of identification. They will also have to provide your name and date of birth in order to treat properly. If you have multiple partners that will need treatment, please address this with the Nurse at your visit.
Each new patient strengthens our Options family so we can continue to provide relationship-based support through compassionate, whole-person sexual health care to our communities. By coming to us for your care, you help us ensure everyone can access high-quality, no-cost care.
Take charge of your health and your relationships today by scheduling an appointment with us!
*Because of the scope of our services and affiliations, Options for Women East does not refer or perform abortion, nor provide or refer for the abortion pill.
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