5 Causes of Heavy Bleeding
Under normal circumstances, periods aren’t exactly welcome, but yours are less so thanks to heavy bleeding that’s impacting your quality of life. Here’s what might be behind the heavy bleeding and what to do next.
How Often Should I Get Tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections?
Back in the 1980s, a nationwide education and awareness effort was launched in the hopes of reducing the number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States. Unfortunately, those efforts haven’t moved the needle much, and the rates of STIs are higher than ever. In 2022, there were more than 2.5 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia.
Since STIs are still circulating at alarming rates in the US, the women’s health experts here at Capital Women’s Care want to do our part to underscore the importance of regular STI testing. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at a few compelling reasons why you should get tested for STIs and what sort of screening schedule we recommend.
Why testing for STIs is a good idea
There are several reasons we want you to come see us for STI testing, including:
Not all STIs have symptoms
You may have noticed that we’re using the term STI instead of STD (sexually transmitted disease). This shift in terminology is because when you’re infected, it doesn't necessarily mean you’ll develop disease. In other words, you can have the infection, but no symptoms.
Testing can help prevent passing an STI along
Because so many STIs don’t have symptoms, people don’t realize they have the infection and they can pass it along to sexual partners and unborn babies. If you get tested and find out you have an STI, you can take steps to protect yourself and others.
One STI can lead to another
If you have an STI, you’re more vulnerable to further infections, such as HIV. Through testing, we can identify and treat existing infections to lower your risks.
Untreated STIs can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility
If you have an STI that goes untreated, you run the risk of developing a larger problem, namely pelvic inflammatory disease. And one of the biggest complications of pelvic inflammatory disease is infertility.
How often you should test for STIs
Now let’s get into some good rules of thumb for STI testing. The recommendations put forth by the CDC, suggest the following:
- All women between the ages of 13 and 64 should be tested for HIV at least once
- Sexually active women under the age of 25 should test annually for chlamydia and gonorrhea
- Sexually active women over the age of 25 should test regularly for chlamydia and gonorrhea if they have new partners or multiple partners
- Pregnant women should test for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, chlamydia, and gonorrhea
Even if you don’t have intercourse, you can still be infected. So, if you have oral or anal sex, please talk to us about STI testing.
In fact, we want you to be honest and open with us about your sexual activity, and we listen without judgment. Our top priority is your health, and we need to have a complete picture so we can protect you against STIs.
If you have questions or you’d like to make an appointment for quick and easy STI testing, please contact one of our three conveniently located offices in Frederick and Mount Airy, Maryland, today.
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