What kind of procedures should be undertaken when testing for venereal disease?

There are many venereal diseases (sexually transmitted diseases) that are around and lurking around you. Yes, there are more than 20 types of venereal diseases and on average, they will not cause specific symptoms when a person has this disease for the first time. This causes venereal disease to go unnoticed and endangers the health of many people. Not a few people realize that they have experienced this sex disease. Therefore, everyone needs to do a venereal disease test.

Worried about the venereal disease test procedure at the doctor? No need to worry, find out how this procedure is performed in the following review.

Who is suspected of having venereal disease and must do special examinations?

The recommendation for testing venereal disease has been stated by the United States Agency for Prevention and Control of Disease (CDC), which states that:

People aged 13-64 should have at least one HIV test.
Perform routine checks to detect chlamydia and gonorrhea, which must be done by women who are sexually active and under 25 years of age.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea tests also apply to women who are over 25 years of age and have had sex (let alone multiple partners).
Syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis B are mandatory tests for pregnant women. Meanwhile, chlamydia and gonorrhea should be done in women who are planning to become pregnant.
Health checks for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea should be done at least once a year by people who have sex with the same sex. The examination is carried out in a span of 3-6 months.

Venereal disease testing procedures

There are indeed many venereal diseases and some of them require special examinations to determine whether a person is indeed positive for venereal disease or not.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea

Most cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea do not cause symptoms, therefore regular health checks are required to find out whether you are safe from this disease or not. In women, usually the examination will be carried out by taking fluid from the vagina to be processed in the laboratory.

Meanwhile, for men, this examination will be carried out directly by looking at and examining the penile tissue. In some cases, urine can also be used as an ingredient to examine whether chlamydia is present or not.

HIV, syphilis and hepatitis

Hepatitis that can be transmitted through sex is hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Both are chronic diseases that can cause liver cancer. Meanwhile, HIV is known to be a deadly venereal disease. Therefore, it is very important to detect the disease from the start by checking that it is done at least once in a lifetime. You should be tested for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis if you:

Have a previous history of sexually transmitted diseases
Have more than one sexual partner
Have ever used illegal drugs
Planning to get pregnant in the near future

For HIV and hepatitis tests, it will be done by taking a blood sample, while testing for syphilis uses a sample of genital fluid which will be examined further in the laboratory.

Genital herpes

So far, no specific venereal disease test can detect genital herpes. The reason is, people who get this venereal disease will initially not experience any symptoms. However, when you feel sores in the genital area, it may be due to herpes.

To diagnose genital herpes, the doctor will take the injured genital tissue and then examine it in a laboratory. Sometimes screening for herpes also takes a blood sample to confirm the results.

HPV

This infectious disease caused by the human papillomavirus virus can cause venereal disease and cervical cancer in women. Routine HPV screening is only now available for women, because in this case the female population is being attacked.

HPV examination is done with a pap smear and HPV test. Pap smear tests have been recommended to be done regularly for once three years, when women are 21-29 years old.

During the exam, you may be asked to remove your shirt from the waist down. Then you are asked to lie down on a special table with your knees bent. The doctor will insert an instrument called a speculum into your vagina. This tool serves to widen your vagina, so that the doctor can see your cervix and take samples of your cervical cells with a device called a spatula.

This sample of your cervical cells is then placed in a container filled with a special liquid (smear test with liquid) or spread in a special glass slide (conventional pap smear test). And, then taken to the laboratory for examination. Wait for the results one to two weeks later.