Great News – It Is Now Possible To Get Tested For STDs during This Covid-19 Outbreak

Great News – It Is Now Possible To Get Tested For STDs during This Covid-19 Outbreak

The Covid-19 pandemic is the most trending topic even today. There is a congruent health crisis looming large, the rise in sexually transmitted diseases, but this is probably ignored because all healthcare resources are overwhelmed with Covid-19.

The Covid-19 outbreak greatly impacted access to in-person testing and treatment – driving the STD epidemic even further.

Yes, it is true than in Arlington, free STD testing and treatment facilities may have become scarcer, but ignoring your STD status can have a devastating impact not only on your life but on your loved ones as well.

Here are a few good reasons why regular testing for sexually transmitted diseases is important.

• It is a common belief that STDs have painful and very obvious symptoms. This is not true. Most STDs are completely asymptomatic.
• Untreated STDs can lead to serious complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease, risk of miscarriage, infertility, and even cancer.

Doctors recommend that if you are sexually active, you must get tested once a year unless you have been in a monogamous relationship for a long duration and are sure of your partner’s status.

But it is sensible to get tested more often if you:

• Have been having new partners
• Are not sure of your partner’s STD status
• Suspect you have indulged in risky behaviors
• Experience abnormal symptoms

It is true that people are having less sex during this pandemic than during the pre-covid days.

But this does not mean people are not indulging in sex at all.

There are people who are not quarantined, and then people are having sex, albeit less frequently. According to a healthcare provider, hookup apps and conversations indicate people are still sexually active.

The amount of sex people have or the number of partners they have sex with are not necessarily the right indicators of STD transmission.

Proper indicators are:

• How often are people getting tested?
• Did they use condoms or other barrier methods?
• Were the barrier methods used correctly?

Fortunately, in Arlington gonorrhea and syphilis as well as other sexually transmitted diseases can still be diagnosed as many STD testing sites are slowly returning to their regular schedules.

Some of the facilities you can approach include:

• Arlington free STD testing and treatment facilities
• Healthcare facilities at educational centers
• Urgent care centers
• Planned parenthood locations
• Local health centers
• LGBT community centers

There is no need to hesitate regarding in-person testing. Most of the facilities have protocols in place to safeguard both the patients and health professionals.

You can make a prior appointment by calling any of the centers you wish to visit and ask them about any specific procedures they follow.

On your part, wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet away from the doctor and clinical staff, avoid touching surfaces, and wash your hands frequently.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is committed to providing counsel and guidance when in-person clinics are limited.

Keep in mind that currently there are no FDA-cleared self-test procedures for syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, but you do have the option of “at-home specimen collection”.