Best Herpes Treatments home Herpes Testing

STD Tests or
Sexually Transmitted Disease Tests

STD tests are a medical tests for the presence of sexually transmitted infections. STD tests may test for a single disease, or consist of several individual tests for any of a wide range of STDs. It is important to note that some of these diseases are interrelated. For instance, if you have herpes, you may be infected with other STDs. Therefore, you should take tests for most common STDs. Most sexually transmitted diseases can now be accurately diagnosed through the use of blood/serologic, urine or cell testing.

STD Tests – Human Immunodeficiency Virus

HIV is a virus that attacks and shuts down the body's immune system, which is the body’s internal defense system that fights off infections and diseases. The enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is the standard qualitative test for HIV. The (EIA) test detects the presence of antibodies produced by the body in response to an HIV infection. EIA is not effective during the period of first contact with the HIV virus because it takes time for the body to produce detectable levels of the HIV antibodies.

STD Tests - Genital herpes

Genital herpes is caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 (HSV-1) or type 2 (HSV-2). Most genital herpes is caused by HSV-2. Most patients have no or minimal signs or symptoms from HSV-1 or HSV-2 infection. There are basically four tests to diagnose herpes, these are: tissue culture, polymerase chain reaction test, blood/serologic test and virus antigen detection test. You can read more about these at our herpes testing page.

STD Tests - Chlamydia

Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial STD in the United States. Chlamydia is called a "silent" disease because infected people have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within one to three weeks after exposure. The test for Chlamydia is a urine test. First morning urine is preferred for this test, but the sample is acceptable if the client has not urinated for one to two hours prior to the test. To diagnose Chlamydia in women, your doctor will do a pelvic exam, during which time she will examine your genitals for signs of infection. Additionally, she will take a cervical swab. This swab will be sent to a lab, where the sample will be analyzed for the presence of the bacteria that causes Chlamydia.

STD Tests - Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium neisseria gonorrhoeae, which can multiply easily in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract, including the cervix, uterus, and fallopian tubes in women, and in the urethra in women and men. To diagnose gonorrhea, a culture test may be done, your doctor will take a sample of any discharge that is present. This sample will then be sent to a lab and left to culture for two days. Then, the sample will be analyzed under a microscope for the presence of bacteria. A urine test can also be done to diagnose gonorrhea. However, this test is not as accurate as a culture test and is best used to rule out the infection.

STD Tests - Syphilis

Syphilis is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. It is often called "the great imitator" because many of the signs and symptoms are similar to those of other diseases. Most people with syphilis do not have any symptoms for years, yet remain at risk for late complications if they are not treated.
The standard test used to detect syphilis is a Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) blood test which detects antibodies to the bacterium. During the initial stages of the infection, a diagnosis will be made through both a physical exam, during which your doctor will look for chancres, as well as fluid sample from the chancres. STD test in the second stage of syphilis would involve your doctor examining your lymph glands and for signs of a bodily rash. A blood test will also be required, which will look for antibodies to the syphilis bacteria. People in the late stages of syphilis infection will have the Cerebrospinal Fluid Test performed. For this STD test, a sample of your spinal fluid will be collected and analyzed to determine the extent of the infection.

STD tests – Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. Much like Hepatitis C, it is often times aymptomatic. Once you contract the virus it stays in the bloodstream for life and it can be transmitted to other people.
These are the HBV tests most commonly done: Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) is used as the earliest indicator of an active hepatitis B infection; Hepatitis B surface antibody (HbsAb) is done to assess the need for vaccination; Hepatitis B e-antigen (HBeAg) determines how contagious the patient is; HBV DNA testing measures how much genetic material is present in the blood.

STD Tests – Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the Hepatitis C virus. It is possible to contract the virus if you had sexual contact with multiple partners over a period of time. It can cause liver damage without any obvious symptoms. Hepatitis C can also cause liver cirrhosis, liver failure and even cancer over a period spanning 20 to 30 years.
There are five most commonly used tests for Hepatitis C. These are the following: Anti-HCV tests that detect the presence of antibodies to the virus; HCV RIBA test; HCV-RNA test that determines whether the virus is in the blood; Viral Load tests that measure the number of viral RNA particles in the blood; and the Viral genotyping which is used to determine the kind of virus present.