Guest Post by: Maryann Carreon
Undertaking and submission on sexually transmitted disease testing is very unusual among late adolescents and young adults, but is more frequent on middle to later life.
This is more possible due to the fear of discrimination of the implication of the test, whether or not the result is negative or positive for the STD’s tests.
The maturity and gained experiences on how to handle adverse situations make an underlying principle to the increased frequency of submission for STD’s testing during late adulthood.
The Most Common Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Sexually transmitted diseases are diseases acquired through sexual contact—whether through vaginal, anal or oral course. The most common of these are Syphilis, HIV and Hepatitis B infection. These diseases are not easily diagnosed, but can be confirmed through specific blood tests for specific diseases in questioned.
Misdiagnoses are highly common of these diseases because of the ability and capability to imitate or mimic symptoms exhibited by many diseases. This characteristic is highly attributed to Syphilis which many physicians called it the “great imitator”.
The confirmation and diagnosis of disease-causing bacteria is only through specific laboratory blood examination for syphilis. Proper medication and treatment are applied after diagnosis to cure the disease, and thus recover health.
On the other hand, other STD’s like HIV and Hepatitis B virus infection that once acquired remain lifelong diseases—no cure for the present time, but can be contained and prevent further disease progression.
Their disease-causative agent uses the human body as its home or reservoir, and own factory for their reproduction without exhibiting any apparent symptoms.
The infection goes through asymptomatic latency period where The human may not notice he or she is carrying or harboring the virus. The continuous virus replication and reproduction in the body produces detrimental consequences to the immune system.
Virus transmission to other people is high during this latency stage.
What is the Significant of Submission to STD’s Test?
The presence of bacteria or viruses are detected and confirmed only through specific blood tests for Syphilis, HIV and Hepatitis B infection.
Even though there is still no known cure for certain diseases, there is an available standard therapy once the infection is acquired to maintain and regain health for those infected.
Blood test and early diagnosis of STD prevents virus transmission to other people and provides immediate therapy to counteract the actions and effects of the virus to the body.
Gaining necessary information regarding sexually transmitted diseases is one form of primary prevention and can be of help to undertake submitting to STD’s tests.
Sometimes, blood examination for STD’s may be costly and awkward for some people, but the gain in finding results from blood tests outweighs the anxious situation during specimen collection. Confidentiality of the results for STD’s is highly practiced in the laboratory. Patients can also be tested anonymously upon request.
Knowledge is power
Knowledge of different laboratory examinations for specific diseases can be intentionally obtained through reading. This time, no one can declare it is costly because it only requires time for you to read.
Though there is unending notion and perception that “prevention is better than cure”—this concept always provides the most important method for STD’s prevention.
