Who Should be Tested for STIs and How Often?

A healthy sex life can be a good thing in terms of your overall wellness, but we want to emphasize the healthy part. Unfortunately, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are still making their rounds in alarming numbers in the United States.

To wit, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 2.4 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were diagnosed and reported in 2023. And that’s just counting the ones we know about.

An integral part of women’s healthcare is to ensure sexual health, which is why Dr. Sridevi Panchamukhi and the team here at Eveskare offer comprehensive STI testing. In the following, we dive into why STI screening is important, who should be screened, and how often.

Why test for STIs?

Before we get into the logistical side of this discussion, let’s review why testing for STIs is important, especially for women.

First,  if you have an untreated STI, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which causes infertility in one out of every 10 women with the condition. Other long-term issues with PID include a heightened risk for ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain thanks to scarring.

Another important aspect of STI testing is preventing the spread to other people. You can contain and treat your infection before you pass it on to someone else. We also want to note that not all STIs lead to symptoms, so you may not know you’re spreading an infection unless you test regularly.

Recommended STI testing for women

Since we’re a women’s health practice, we’re going to stick to STI testing recommendations for women only.

According to the CDC, and us, STI testing guidelines for women should include:

• Testing at least once for HIV between the ages of 13 and 64
• Testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea annually if you’re under the age of 25 and are sexually active
• Continuing screening for gonorrhea and chlamydia from the age of 25 forward if you have multiple or new partners, as well as partners with a known STI
• Testing for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C in early pregnancy

We want to point out that oral and anal sex can lead to STIs as well, so please talk to us honestly and openly about your sexual activity so we know where to focus our screening efforts.

We also want to note that testing is extremely easy and we can arrange for it during your well-woman exam. All that’s needed from you is a blood sample in most cases. Not to mention, treating many STIs, especially in their early stages, is often as simple as a course of antibiotics.

If you have any questions about what STI testing schedule is right for your circumstances and risks, please don’t hesitate to contact our office in Frisco, Texas, at 469-966-2423, or book an appointment using our online scheduling tool today.