Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD)
Madison Medical Practice is Your Source for Immediate, Private STD Testing and Treatment
Our office offers STD testing that is:
Any genital symptoms such as discharge or burning during urination or unusual sore or rash should be a signal to stop having sex and to consult a health care provider immediately. If a person has been treated for any STD, he or she should notify all recent sex partners so they can see a health care provider and be treated. This will reduce the risk that the sex partners will develop serious complications from STD and will also reduce the person’s risk of becoming re-infected. The person and all of his or her sex partners must avoid sex until they have completed their treatment for STD.
Gonorrhea
Gonorrhea is a very common infectious disease. Any sexually active person can be infected with gonorrhea.
- Gonorrhea is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhea that spreads through contact with the penis, vagina, mouth, or anus. Ejaculation does not have to occur for gonorrhea to be transmitted or acquired.
- Gonorrhea that is present in the cervix or urethra can be diagnosed in a laboratory by testing a urine sample.
- Several antibiotics can successfully cure gonorrhea. It is important to take all of the medication prescribed to cure gonorrhea.
- Although many men with gonorrhea may have no symptoms at all, some men have some signs or symptoms that appear two to five days after infection. Symptoms and signs include a burning sensation when urinating, or a white, yellow, or green discharge from the penis. In women, the symptoms of gonorrhea are often mild, but most women who are infected have no symptoms. Even when a woman has symptoms, they can be so non-specific as to be mistaken for a bladder or vaginal infection.
Chlamydia Back To Top
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium, Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is the most frequently reported bacterial sexually transmitted disease in the United States.
- Chlamydia can be transmitted during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Any sexually active person can be infected with chlamydia.
- Chlamydia is known as a “silent” disease because about three quarters of infected women and about half of infected men have no symptoms. If symptoms do occur, they usually appear within 1 to 3 weeks after exposure. Women who have symptoms might have an abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating. Men with signs or symptoms might have a discharge from their penis or a burning sensation when urinating. Men might also have burning and itching around the opening of the penis.
- There are several laboratory tests to diagnose chlamydia. Some can be performed on urine, other tests require that a specimen be collected from a site such as the penis or cervix.
- Chlamydia can be easily treated and cured with antibiotics. A single dose of azithromycin or a week of doxycycline (twice daily) is the most commonly used treatments. If untreated, chlamydial infections can progress to serious reproductive and other health problems with both short-term and long-term consequences.
Herpes Back To Top
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the herpes simplex viruses type 1 and type 2. Most genital herpes is caused by type 2.
- Transmission can occur from an infected partner who does not have a visible sore and may not know that he or she is infected.
- Most individuals have no or only minimal signs or symptoms from infection. When signs do occur, they typically appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals or rectum. The blisters break, leaving tender ulcers (sores) that may take two to four weeks to heal the first time they occur. Typically, another outbreak can appear weeks or months after the first, but it almost always is less severe and shorter than the first outbreak. Although the infection can stay in the body indefinitely, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years.
- Health care providers can diagnose genital herpes by visual inspection or by taking a sample from the sore(s) and testing it in a laboratory. HSV infections can be difficult to diagnose between outbreaks. Blood tests may be helpful, although the results are not always clear-cut.
- There is no treatment that can cure herpes, but antiviral medications can shorten and prevent outbreaks during the period of time the person takes the medication. In addition, daily suppressive therapy for symptomatic herpes can reduce transmission to partners.
HPV (Genital warts) Back To Top
Genital HPV infection is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV).It can infect the genital area of men and women including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), or anus, and the linings of the vagina.
- The types of HPV that infect the genital area are spread primarily through genital contact.
- Most HPV infections have no signs or symptoms; therefore, most infected persons are unaware they are infected, yet they can transmit the virus to a sex partner.
- Most women are diagnosed with HPV on the basis of abnormal Pap tests. No HPV tests are available for men.
- There is no “cure” for HPV infection, although in most women the infection goes away on its own. The treatments provided are directed to the changes in the skin caused by HPV infection, such as warts and pre-cancerous changes in the cervix.
Syphilis Back To Top
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. It has often been called “the great imitator” because so many of the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other diseases.
- Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with syphilis sore. Sores occur mainly on the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum. Sores also can occur on the lips and in the mouth. Transmission of the organism occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex.
- Many people infected with syphilis do not have any symptoms for years, yet remain at risk for late complications if they are not treated. Most transmission is from persons who are unaware of their infection.
- Shortly after infection occurs, the body produces syphilis antibodies that can be detected by an accurate, safe, and inexpensive blood test.
- Syphilis is easy to cure in its early stages. A single intramuscular injection of penicillin, an antibiotic, will cure a person who has had syphilis for less than a year. Additional doses are needed to treat someone who has had syphilis for longer than a year.
HIV Back To Top
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is the virus that causes AIDS.
- This virus may be passed from one person to another when infected blood, semen, or vaginal secretions come in contact with an uninfected person’s broken skin or mucous membranes*.
- The symptoms of HIV are: rapid weight loss ,dry cough ,recurring fever or profuse night sweats , unexplained fatigue, swollen lymph glands in the armpits, groin, or neck ,diarrhea that lasts for more than a week ,white spots or unusual blemishes on the tongue, in the mouth, or in the throat.
- The standard screening test is to detect the presence of antibodies to HIV in blood then follow-up confirmatory test such as the Western blot to make a positive diagnosis. Where can I get tested for HIV infection? You can call our office at 212 686 5800 to arrange an appointment
- If you test positive for HIV, the sooner you take steps to protect your health, the better. Early medical treatment and a healthy lifestyle can help you stay well.