Faster STD Test Results - Health - Diseases and Conditions

When it comes to sexually transmitted diseases, time is of the essence. Getting tested and treated as quickly as possible after being exposed to an STD can mitigate the potentially serious health consequences associated with contracting the disease. The Springfield-Greene County Health Department is just the latest to fight the good fight in the war against STDs.KY 3 News out of Springfield, Missouri, recently reported that the department "fights spread of STDs with faster testing." How is it accomplishing this aim? Through a process that allows "testing through a urine test instead of a swab for gonorrhea and chlamydia."

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there are more than 700,000 new cases of gonorrheal infections each year in the U.S. Of them, only about half are reported to CDC. Even more startling, an estimated three million people are infected with chlamydia each year in the United States, many of them never even knowing it. And this obliviousness is putting them at serious risk for longstanding side effects.

According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, "If left untreated, gonorrhea may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease." The same is true of chlamydia. An infection of the uterus, fallopian tubes and other reproductive organs, pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID as it is commonly referred to, can in turn "lead to serious consequences including infertility, ectopic pregnancy, abscess formation, and chronic pelvic pain."

And men are not immune to these harmful side effects. Untreated chlamydia can infect the tubes of the testicles, leading to abscesses and potential infertility. That's why rapid STD testing and treatment are so important. And because a urine test is quick, painless and non-invasive, it encourages individuals who might otherwise be resistant to consent to STD testing.

And as the news source points out, the best part of this type of STD testing is that the results are back in a couple of days. Individuals who want to protect themselves from the serious consequences of an STD but who want to remain totally anonymous when it comes to how and where they are tested may want to consider an online testing service that has partnered with reputable labs nationwide to provide them with the rapid and confidential results they seek.

The process is a simple one. Simply log on to the site and order the pertinent tests. A Peace of Mind package that includes ten tests (HIV-1 Abs, Hepatitis B Panel (3 tests), Hepatitis C Antibody, Herpes 1&2 IgG ELISA, Syphilis RPR, Chlamydia and Gonorrhea) is a popular choice that will leave you resting easy. Next, go to the lab of your choosing for urine and/or blood samples. Finally, sit back and wait for your anonymous results to come in. Typical turnaround times are one to three business days, providing you with rapid results so you can seek timely treatment, if necessary, you prevent long-term consequences.

Springfield- Greene County Health Department's spokesperson, who spoke with KY 3 News, sums it up succinctly, "It's (rapid-result STD testing's) a piece of mind; [it] protects yourself, your loved ones, and, in general, protects the community."

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