How To Test From Home
Once you decide which test kit it right for you, the process is the same. By that, we mean that it is convenient and easy to use. You never have to step into a doctors office for a sexually transmitted infection test ever again!
myLAB Box makes the testing process as simple as possible. Youll find the following components included in every kit:
- The urine, vaginal swab and/or blood sample collection kit
- Easy to follow instructions
- A postage paid return envelope to send your samples in for testing
- Free 2-way shipping
- Fast and easy access to your results online
- A free telemedicine consultation with a physician in your state
As you can see, the process is simple. If youre not sure what type of sample is required or which test is right for you, you might want to consider one of myLAB Boxs test combos:
Whats The Difference Between Stds And Stis
STDs are sometimes referred to as sexually transmitted infections . Many providers use this term since theres less stigma attached to the word infection. Its possible to have an infection without symptoms, and the infection may cause disease in the future. In the absence of symptoms, the only way to diagnose an STI is to screen for it.
Am I At Risk For Chlamydia
Anyone who has sex can get chlamydia through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex. However, sexually active young people are at a higher risk of getting chlamydia. This is due to behaviors and biological factors common among young people. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men are also at risk since chlamydia can spread through oral and anal sex.
Have an honest and open talk with your health care provider. Ask whether you should be tested for chlamydia or other STDs. If you are a sexually active woman younger than 25 years, you should get a test for chlamydia every year. If you are an older woman with risk factors such as new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has an STD, you should get a test for chlamydia every year. Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men as well as pregnant women should also get tested for chlamydia.
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How Long Should I Wait After Unprotected Sex To Get Tested For Stds
By | April 29, 2020, 6:49 p.m.
Category:
How soon after I had sex can I get tested for STDs?
It depends. It can take 3 months for HIV to show up on a test, but it only takes a matter of days to a few weeks for STDs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis to show up.
Practicing safer sex lowers your chances of getting or spreading STDs. And if youve done anything that puts you at risk of infection, getting tested helps you stay healthy.
Tags: STDs, getting tested
Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of people worldwide. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. is a registered 501 nonprofit under EIN 13-1644147. Donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable under the law.
How Long Does A Chlamydia Test Take
Once the samples have been collected, they are sent to a lab for testing. The time it takes to process the sample can vary. If youâre getting tested via your healthcare providerâs office, you can generally expect to get results within 7 to 10 days after the sample collection.
On the other hand, if you are using the Everlywell at-home chlamydia test, youâll receive secure, online results just a few days after the lab receives your sample.
Most experts suggest that it can take up to 14 days following initial exposure with an infected sex partner for the infection to show any symptoms. For this reason, if your sex partner has recently tested positive but you receive negative results from your test, you may be advised to repeat the test if it has been less than two weeks since you last had sexual intercourse. This is because the infection may still be in its early stages when it is more difficult to identify.
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How To Get An Std Test
Getting tested for STDs is a simple process. Almost all mid-sized and large cities offer options for free or low-cost STD testing, with convenient online testing options also available for many common sexually transmitted diseases.
You can get tested by:
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Talking to your healthcare provider. Your primary care provider will be able to provide testing for most STDs. Many health insurance policies either provide free STD testing or offer tests at a significantly reduced price.
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Visiting your local urgent care center. Many urgent care centers offer testing for most STDs. You can search for free, fast and confidential testing locations in your area using the CDCs GetTested tool.
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Visiting your local pharmacy. Many pharmacies can schedule testing for some STDs, or provide an at-home test that you can return to the pharmacy or mail directly to the lab for analysis.
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Contacting Planned Parenthood. Many Planned Parenthood centers offer STD testing and treatment.
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Using an at-home/online test. Several companies provide at-home STD tests that you can order online. Some tests provide instant results, while others may need to be mailed to a lab for analysis.
Types Of Chlamydia Testing
Lab tests allow doctors to confidently diagnose chlamydia. Types of chlamydia testing include:
- Urine testing You pee into a cup, and the sample is sent to a lab to analyze for the presence of the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis. This is the method we use for chlamydia testing.
- Swab Your urethra, vagina, cervix, throat, anus, or eye is swabbed to take cell samples. This method may be considered for non-genital chlamydia, like if you had unprotected oral sex or receptive anal sex.
- Blood More rarely, a small blood sample can be drawn for your arm to detect the presence of antibodies specific to chlamydia.
Also Check: Are Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Curable
What Is An Std Incubation Period
An incubation period is the span of time from when you first come in contact with an STD to when antibodies form to fight the STD1). Tests look for the presence of these antibodies during testing2), and if you do not wait until the incubation period has ended, you may not allow your body sufficient time to develop enough antibodies for it to show up in testing, causing a false-negative result.
Even after you have waited for the incubation period to end, you may not see signs or symptoms of the STD. Many STDs do not display symptoms at all or are so subtle that you could think you have a cold or a rash. Your symptoms come and go, but this doesnt mean the STD has gone away. This is why its so important to get tested there is simply no other way to be 100% sure of an STD diagnosis.
How Long Does It Take For Syphilis To Show Up
This is a sexually transmitted infection that is caused by a bacterium. It starts as a painless sore than usually appears on the genitals, rectum and mouth. This bacteria can remain in the body for years, after the initial infection.
Syphilis Incubation Period: developing a chancre is the primary stage of this infection. While the average incubation time of syphilis is 21 days, symptoms can appear anytime between 10 and 90 days.
Syphilis Window Period: 3-6 weeks in general but, most resources recommend getting tested 90 days after exposure.
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How Long Does It Take For Chlamydia To Show Up
This is the most reported sexually transmitted infection in the United States. During the early stages of this disease, few infected individuals show signs and symptoms. These include pain and burning while peeing and while having sexual intercourse, bleeding between periods as well as abnormal vaginal discharges for women and pus/watery discharges from the penis.
Chlamydia Incubation Period: The incubation period of Chlamydia ranges between 7 and 21 days for those who will show related symptoms.
Chlamydia Window Period: the window period of chlamydia is between 1 and 5 days.
What Is A Window Period
A window period is the phase between being exposed to an infection and the correct time when a test can detect the organism in the system, by measuring the produced antibodies. If you get tested without taking into consideration the infections window period, you might end up with a false-negative result. This means that you may have been infected but, you did not give your body enough time to develop enough antibodies that can be detected. To be 100% sure about your results, it is recommended to be tested after the end of the window period, even if symptoms did not show.
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How Soon Can I Test For All Stds At Once
We know it can be hard to wait to get tested. As soon as the thought crosses your mind that you may have an STD, you want to learn your status ASAP. But you know now thats probably not the best idea. You dont want to test too early, and you also dont want to have to visit our labs multiple times because of all the different STD incubation periods.
To make it easy and only have to test once, we suggest waiting to test according to the STD with the longest incubation period. For example, If you wanted to test for everySTD mentioned on this blog post using our comprehensive 10 test STD panel, you would need to wait at least eight weeks to get accurate results, because that is the minimum amount of time hepatitis C needs before it shows up on tests.
What Happens If I Test Positive
If you test positive, instruction will be provided on how to obtain a free telemedicine consultation with a physician in your state. This physician may be able to prescribe treatment for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea or Trich. Depending on the infection, you may also need to retest after treatment to confirm the infection is gone.
It is crucial that you inform your sexual partners of your test results, whether theyre positive or negative. Sharing this information will help stop the spread of any infection and will allow your partners to seek testing and treatment immediately if necessary.
Keep testing. Just because youve tested once does not mean that you shouldnt test again. In fact, its common to get infected with certain STDs, including chlamydia and gonorrhea, multiple times. myLAB Box recommends that you test every few months, especially if youve received a positive result in the past.
Also Check: Natural Ways To Cure Chlamydia
How Soon Do Std Symptoms Appear
How long it takes for an STD to show up in testing is entirely dependent on the STD itself, how long its own incubation period is, and your own bodys immune response. You can test for some STDs, like chlamydia, only a day after potential exposure. Meanwhile, HIV and syphilis can take a month or more before you can accurately test for them. Its all pretty confusing but lucky for you, we created a nifty little chart that breaks down each STDs average incubation period.
How Long Does It Take To Get Std Test Results
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Sometimes theres an itch you shouldnt scratch. Sexually transmitted diseases , are alarmingly common.
According to the CDC, one in every five people in the United States has a sexually transmitted infection, with nearly 68 million infections recorded in 2018 alone.
If youre sexually active, its important to get tested for STDs on a frequent basis. Getting tested not only provides peace of mind its also important for protecting you and your sexual partners from the negative health effects that many STDs can have.
Getting tested for STDs is usually a simple process you can do through your primary care provider or at a local health clinic. Results are typically fast, although some diseases may take longer to test for than others.
Below, weve explained how the STD testing process works, as well as how long it usually takes to get the results of your STD test from your healthcare provider.
Weve also discussed how you can get tested, either through your healthcare provider, at a local clinic or using an online STD testing service.
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Who Should Get Tested
Aside from those who show noticeable symptoms, sexually active women under age 25 should get tested for chlamydia at least once per year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The same is true for men who have sex with men, even if condoms are used consistently.
If you have recently been treated for chlamydia infection, your healthcare provider may also advise that you receive another STD test three to four months after your treatment has ended to confirm that the treatment was successful.
It is also important that your sexual partner also get tested if youâve tested positive. This can prevent the larger spread of chlamydia in the community, and it can prevent you and your partner from passing the infection back and forth through unprotected sex.
Easily check for chlamydia from the comfort and privacy of home with the at-home Chlamydia & Gonorrhea Test.
Who Should Get Tested For Chlamydia
We recommend getting tested for chlamydia if you:
- Have had sex with an infected partner
- Have had unprotected oral, vaginal, or anal sex
- Have new or multiple sex partners
- Show chlamydia symptoms
- Are pregnant
- Want to check your status
- Are entering a new relationship
How Often Should You Get Tested?
If you believe you may have been exposed to chlamydia, you should get tested. Because certain people are at higher risk of getting chlamydia, the CDC recommends at least yearly testing for the following groups:
- Sexually active women under 25
- Women with risk factors like new or multiple sex partners
- Men who have sex with men
Pregnant women should test for chlamydia during their first prenatal visit and again during the third trimester if they are under 25 or have risk factors.1
Getting tested regularly for chlamydia and other common sexually transmitted diseases is important. Untreated chlamydia infection can cause serious health complications like:
- Infertility
- Increased risk of contracting other sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, if exposed
What Should You Do If You Test Positive?
We understand how stressful testing positive can be. The good news is that chlamydia is curable and, if caught early, it wont cause lasting health problems. You should also discuss your status with your sexual partner so they can get tested and treated.
Read more about our doctor consultation.
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Are Test Results Accurate
Although chlamydia testing is an important method of finding and treating this common STD, test results could be impacted by the following:
- The use of antibiotics within several days before testing
- Urinating within one hour of sample collection
- Vaginal douching within 24 hours of testing
- Improper sample collection
- Contamination of rectal samples with fecal matter
Im Pregnant How Does Chlamydia Affect My Baby
If you are pregnant and have chlamydia, you can pass the infection to your baby during delivery. This could cause an eye infection or pneumonia in your newborn. Having chlamydia may also make it more likely to deliver your baby too early.
If you are pregnant, you should get tested for chlamydia at your first prenatal visit. Testing and treatment are the best ways to prevent health problems.
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What Do The Results Mean
A positive result means you have been infected with chlamydia. The infection requires treatment with antibiotics. Your health care provider will give you instructions on how to take your medicine. Be sure to take all the required doses. In addition, let your sexual partner know you tested positive for chlamydia, so he or she can be tested and treated promptly.
Learn more about laboratory tests, reference ranges, and understanding results.
When To Get Tested
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What Are The Signs Of Chlamydia Or Gonorrhea
Many people who have chlamydia or gonorrhea dont have any signs or symptoms. When there are symptoms, chlamydia and gonorrhea cause very similar things.
Women with symptoms may have:
- Abnormal discharge from the vagina
- Burning when they urinate
- Bleeding between periods
Men with symptoms may have:
- Abnormal discharge from the penis
- Burning when they urinate
- Painful or swollen testicles
How Soon Can You Be Tested
Every STD has its own incubation period. For some STDs, the body begins to produce antibodies and symptoms in as little as a few days. For others, it can take weeks or months for symptoms to appear. Here are the ranges of incubation periods for some of the most common STDs.
| STD |
| 2 weeks |
While retesting is recommended for bacterial STDs, some STDs are lifelong viral infections. In the case of a lifelong viral infection, a blood test will always detect the STD, even after treatment has been successful. Therefore, retesting would only be necessary if you wanted to reconfirm an original diagnosis.
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