Before diving into the practicalities and intricacies of testing for STI or STD in Singapore, let us look at some of the numbers behind STDs.
They tell a somewhat pessimistic story. The American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) predicts that for every 2 sexually active individuals, 1 will contract STI by the time they are 25 years old. That’s a 50% chance of contracting a STD or STI! These are numbers taken from an American data set and you can take it anyway you want, but a 1 in 2 chance of contracting any STI does not bode well.
STIs include more infections than simply the infamous HIV disease. Less consequential and life-threatening diseases make up the bulk of STIs. Bacterial, fungal, viral and parasitical infections can be transmitted through unsafe sex. Most common STIs are Chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV. While the majority of STIs won’t automatically sentence you to an immunity system-less future, they can have severe and debilitating consequences if left untreated. Chlamydia could cause future infertility and parasitical infections could bring about further bacterial infections.
The quote “prevention is better than cure” always thrown around, and constantly repeated in infomercials for safe sex. However, no preventive method is perfect. Even if we have done all we can to prevent transmitting or contracting STD, we should always check if we need to be cured. It is crucial we know our options to get tested for STDs.
If we believe there is a possibility of having contracted an STD, for any reason, a test for infection should be conducted. If you want to explore private testing and treatment, or wish to keep your possible infection a secret from everyone, there are many private clinics that offer anonymous testing.
For the actual test itself, it begins with a series of question from the doctor about your sexual history. Answer them as truthfully as possible, as this directly affects the STD tests you will undergo.
Tests for STDs generally fall into the categories of blood or urine tests. For HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B, your blood is screened for the tell-tale presence of certain bacterial strains. Urine tests look for bacteria indicative of Gonorrhoea and Chlamydia. Urine tests can be replaced by a urethral swap for men.
Tests offer better identification of STDs than symptoms developing on the patient, as many STIs are asymptomatic or only develop symptoms long after the initial infection.
Our physical health deserves as much monitoring for possible risks as we often give our financial health. Abundant STD testing centres in Singapore means there should be no hesitation or apprehension to test for STDs when there is a possibility of an infection.
