Avoiding the Walk of Shame? STD Testing Comes Home

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Getting tested for sexually transmitted diseases can be incredibly frightening, especially if you have reason to believe that you may have been exposed. A 2011 report by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) showed that syphilis rates have nearly doubled since the year 2000, and in 2010, the CDC reported over 1.3 million cases of chlamydia, the biggest number that has ever been reported for any health condition. Clearly, there has never been a more important time to be tested.

1. You've Had Unprotected Sex
The main reason to get STD testing is because you recently have had unprotected sex. Even if the person you had sex with claimed to be clean, you can't know for sure that they were telling the truth. There is also always the possibility that someone you have been with has an STD yet wasn't aware of it, as a person can be infected and not present any immediate symptoms. If you have had any sort of unprotected sex, you should be tested immediately. If left untreated, some of these diseases can lead to infertility or other serious problems.

2. Testing is Discrete and Confidential
If you're worried about confidentiality and want to avoid any possible diseases being on your medical records for the rest of your life, consider going to a private lab to be tested. These days, there are private labs offering STD testing, and most of them can be ordered online from the privacy of your home at sites like www.healthtestingcenters.com. When you show up at the lab to take the test, you just walk in, have blood drawn and walk out. No one will ask you anything about your reasons for being there and your results will not show up on your permanent medical records unless you discuss them with your doctor.

3. There is no Longer Any Need to Wait
In the past, you may have been told that you need to wait for a few months after a possible exposure to be tested for certain diseases, but thanks to recent technological improvements, that is no longer the case. Most diseases can now be detected much earlier than before, meaning that you don't have to sit nervously and wait for months to figure out the status of your health. If you have had unprotected sex recently, it’s best to get tested sooner rather than later.

4. You Just Want to be Sure
The most unfortunate STD cases occur when an unsuspecting spouse is infected by their cheating partner. Most people who are in a committed relationship have unprotected sex, but when the trust is broken, terrible things can happen. If you suspect that your husband or wife may have cheated on you, you should consider getting yourself an STD test.

The idea of having a sexually transmitted disease is scary, but there is nothing worse than living in denial and ignoring the possibility. The sooner you get tested and find out the truth, the sooner you can take the necessary steps to regain your health.

Researcher Shelby Warden shares this article for people who prefer convenient and confidential medical testing. At www.healthtestingcenters.com people can order tests online and even take the test under their own name or an alias. They will be the only one who gets the results from the lab and they aren’t added to their permanent health history.