When you’re sexually active, you’re potentially at risk for a sexually transmitted disease (STD). There are many varieties of STDs, and they can have serious consequences for your health and wellness. You can also pass an STD to a partner, complicating their health and that of their future partners as well.
Getting tested for STDs and keeping track of potential warning signs and symptoms are an important part of your personal and sexual health. At Monrovia Internal Medicine & Primary Care of Duarte, California, urgent care specialist Dr. Ulin Sargeant provides expert, discreet diagnosis and treatment for STDs of all types.
You don’t need to worry about being embarrassed when you talk to Dr. Sargeant about your STD concerns. She understands how essential it is to approach this part of your care with compassion, knowledge, and acceptance. Here’s what Dr. Sargeant wants patients to understand about STDs, screening, and treatment.
How do you know if you have an STD?
Some STDs come with uncomfortable symptoms that also act as warning signs. You may notice discharge, a change in smell, a rash or other skin changes like blisters, irritation, redness, or sores in your genital or anal area. Painful or frequent urination can also signal an STD, as can a fever or flu-like symptoms.
However, some potentially serious STDs, including HIV/AIDS, may not show any initial warning signs. You might not even realize you’ve been infected by an STD. Only with regular STD screening can you be sure that you’re disease-free.
STD screening: Should you get tested?
Untreated STDs are nothing to mess around with. An STD can impact your long-term health. Some STDs also can cause infertility if not promptly caught and treated. If you notice telltale signs and symptoms of an STD, screening helps Dr. Sargeant gather diagnostic information to help you get the proper treatment.
Dr. Sargeant recommends STD screening anytime you become intimate with a new partner as well as when you’ve had unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Regular screenings are a good idea if you or your partner engage in high-risk behaviors like IV drug use or sex with multiple partners.
Talk to Dr. Sargeant about how frequently you need to get tested to protect your sexual health.
Treatment to clear up STDs
STDs can often be cured or effectively managed, especially when caught early. For parasitic STDs, antibiotics and antiparasitic drugs are highly effective. Bacterial STDs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis respond well to antibiotics.
Even if you contract a viral STD like HIV, HPV, genital herpes, or hepatitis B that can’t be cured, you can keep your condition from becoming a problem in your life — and from passing the disease to current and future sexual partners — with effective management.
For help identifying and treating STDs, get in touch with Dr. Sargeant at Monrovia Internal Medicine & Primary Care today. Visit our virtual office, or schedule an appointment now with our online booking tool.
