First steps: Select the place to get tested.



First of all you need to know who and where this test done be performed. Normally, your doctor, maybe your personal or family doctor or a gynaecologiest can perform STD tests. You can also visit your nearest Planned Parenthood or public health clinic. You need to determine if the lab or clinic is well equipped for your STD tests or not. Some conditions require physicians? administration before taking the test. You need to know about the doctor and the lab. Special STD labs are always better then general labs.

For STD tests you need to know the privacy part. It is really imperative and most of the labs will keep your privacy intact. Some of the labs will allocate you a number instead of your real name. That is always a better way to protect identity. Therefore, you should make sure that the lab you are suppose to visit uses your real name in the reports or just a number to identify you.

In the Clinic

At the clinic or lab, you will be provided with a form or questionnaire. This paper work is very imperative. This will ask you various questions about your health in general and also about your STD history. Always be honest to this form, this plays a vital role in the diagnostic and treatment. By default, this form will also ask you about HIV, if you require the test or not. This is a law to ask the patient, if they want to undergo this test or not. Please note, all positive diagnosis of HIV has to be reported.

After completing the paperwork, the real exam will start. You will have to enter the backroom. You will have to change into medical gown for testing purpose. Here you will interact directly to a doctor. The doctor will ask you certain questions to get more details. The more details you provide the better chances of accurate diagnosis, which leads to best treatment. You have to co-operate with the doctor to provide as much details as possible. Being honest here can safe your and your partners future, being dishonest can lead into overlooking into some vital areas.

Once this session is over, you may need to undergo various STD tests depending upon the conditions. Generally, the various STD tests can be categorized into two parts.

Visual STD Testing

This diagnosis is done by simply looking into the infected or affected area. Normally, STDs like genital warts, genital herpes and pubic lice are detected by visual STD testing.

Physical STD Testing

Some STDs like gonnorhea, syphilis, hepatitis, chlamyida, genital herpes, trichomoniasis, and HIV cannot be diagnosed by simply looking. There are little more serious in nature and they need physical STD testing. These conditions may require blood samples, urine sample  or physical swab taken out from vagina, urethra or anus. Physical swab taken from anus can be little uncomfortable for a few seconds.

The Wait for Results

You may get some of the results instantly or on the same day. But a few can keep you waiting for a week or so. You need to go to the lab or diagnostic center to pick up the report yourself. For confidentiality, reports are never sent out via phone. Some of them sends the reports via post too. In case, the report is positive, the report will also include a prescription of medicines to treat your STD condition as soon as possible.

You may think STD test can be embarrassing and may be uncomfortable, but in reality, it is done in a professional manner and you will never feel it awkward once you decide to enter the lab. All the staffs are professional and experienced, for them it's everyday work. Their work is not laugh at you or make fun of you, their work is to help you diagnose the problem and cure it.

Never think about others, while taking STD tests. Think about yourself and about your partner.