STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases), also known as STI’s (sexually transmitted infections), are becoming more and more common in the United States despite the efforts of the government, the medical community, and individuals trying to control the spread of these diseases. Even with the widespread use of condoms and increased awareness about safer sex practices, many STD’s are still at record levels, with millions of new cases each year. The doctors at Prime Medical Center have extensive experience with the diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of STD’s. We also understand the very sensitive and confidential nature of these illnesses and we are discrete and respect out patients’ privacy.
A person can be infected with several different types of STD’s but have no symptoms or knowledge that they are infected. This is part of the reason that STD’s are spreading so quickly. Routine screening for STD’s is very important for the health of all sexually active people. Our doctors provide routine screening for both men and women. We also diagnose and treat symptomatic cases, often on the same day of the visit and before the results of any testing are in (known as ‘treating empirically’). Blood, urine and swab samples are submitted for extensive and personalized laboratory testing. Results are available in a matter of days. The providers can offer personalized counseling and discussion regarding STD risk, transmission and treatment.
NEW! We have recently seen a number of patients who have complained of persistant urinary discomfort despite being “tested for everything.” Upon further investigation, we have discovered that most of these patients have only been tested for HIV, hepatitis, herpes, syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and sometimes trichamonas. Unfortunately, this is not a complete STD profile. There are quite a few atypical STD’s that require very special testing in order to detect. If you believe that you have been tested for everything, found to have been negative, but continue to have symptoms, please feel free to give us a call. We will be happy to perform a more comprehensive evaluation of your symptoms.
BCHealth.com is one of the leading online services spreading awareness about prevention, treatment and post-care for STDIs. The website management maintains that self-diagnosing is highly dangerous in case of suspected sexually transmitted infection. It is up to a certified doctor to do the diagnosing. There are several tests that can be used to diagnose a sexually transmitted infection:
- specialist objective examination
- blood tests
- urine analysis
- examinations of biological fluid samples
The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine is now available. The HPV virus causes genital warts, but it is also been found to cause the majority of cases of cervical cancer in women. This vaccine may help prevent millions of cases the dangerous strains of HPV from spreading, and is now being given to both adolescents and to young adults, including both women and recently even men. We have the vaccine available at our medical center for immediate use.