A question: how often should you be tested for STD's??

I recently had my 15th anniversary of getting STD-screened for the first time. I celebrated by making my annual appointment to go get STD-screened.

Let me be the first to say that getting regular screenings does NOT keep you from getting STDs. I've had STD screenings every year but one that I've been sexually active, and yes, I did manage to get an STD back in my early 20's even so. Fortunately it was one of the easily treatable ones.

Think of it this way: if someone who *knows* the risks, has almost always played fairly safe (yes, I've made dumb choices sometimes, just like everyone else), gets tested, and knows the symptoms can get an STD, so can you. Ain't no such thing as foolproof, and there's no sense in expecting that you're going to be the exception to the rule.

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Hanne Blank
Associate Editor, Scarleteen

I got tested at my annual exam in January, and will probably get tested again when school starts.

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Why does a rose represent love, when a rose always dies??

I recently read a statistic which showed that about 30% of young women with HPV had only ONE partner, ever, who they got it from. A goodly percentage of them got it in less than three months of sexual activity with that first partner.

Not trying to make you needlessly worry, but none of us can intuitively know what your partners are or are not carrying. Only regular testing can tell us that.

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Heather Corinna
Editor and Founder, Scarleteen

As a note, testing for STDs and STIS is specific. Chances are, in testing things for your partners blood pressure he has NOT had full STD and STI screens.

What he can do to find out is simply to ask for a record of all the tests he's been given in the last year.

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Heather Corinna
Editor and Founder, Scarleteen

It went fine. I recall that at the last physical that I went to with my doctor, I felt a lot more uncomfortable than I did with the gynecologist. I felt perfectly comfortable even when the gynecologist was using the speculum and inspecting my cervix and all that--it was completely non-sexual, and kind of like someone probing my arm or leg or some other body part. I didn't feel uncomfortable or violated at all.

quote:

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Originally posted by mingo:
Why so many? Because I was in the military and they required it every six months.

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Yup, my first test came at the hands of the military as well. I didn't have much risk to speak of back then, but it was still interesting. Since then I had to get tested as part of a Social Welfare class, and now its just sort of an annual ritual. It's amazing what doctors can do these days. Getting tested is painless, quick, easy, and great for peace of mind.

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"Task Force 46, Light Force 34, Engine and Rescue 66, Battalion 3, Division 2; respond into the Greater Alarm Structure Fire at San Pedro and Jefferson. Reported to be a fire at the First Alert fire extinguisher factory..."

I don't do well when people take my blood, so I came very close to passing out. They only got 3/4 of what they needed. It took me 10 minutes and two juice packets before I felt well enough to drive home.

And I get to do it again in about a month.

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Milke, SSBD, RATS, TMNTP

Milke,

Does your mother or father have hepatitis or did any of their family have it? If they did, there is nothing to worry about most likely. Hepatitis is in my dad's side of the family and as long as you have the antibodies, you are fine. I only learned of this when my mom told me. You should probably ask the clinic anyway, just to make sure though.

But yeah, I get tested whenever the doc and I decide I need a Pap done. I don't usually get printouts, though. She calls if anything's wrong, otherwise silence is golden. Plus, I had my blood done at some point or another. I seem to get regularily drained for something or another every like 3 months. (as in blood)

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Milke, SSBD, RATS, TMNTP