STD testing in Singapore is usually done through urine and blood tests, although there are also other tests available. You need to request STD testing specifically; it will not be included in your standard well-woman exam.
One important aspect of your sexual health is making sure that you’re free from sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Many women mistakenly believe that they’re receiving testing for STDs every time they have their well-woman exam and Pap smear. Actually, this isn’t the case. Your well-woman exam checks for signs of various diseases, while the Pap smear looks for pre-cancerous changes in the cervix. However, unless you specifically request STD testing, you won’t receive it.
Although your doctor does collect a sample of cells from the surface of your cervix in the course of a pelvic exam, this sample won’t be tested for bacteria or viruses, only for changes that might indicate cancer. There is a link between certain strains of the sexually transmitted virus called HPV and cervical cancer, but HPV testing is generally not performed on the cervical samples taken for a Pap smear. In large part, this is because HPV cannot be removed from the body anyway, and the treatment for pre-cancerous changes of the cervix (removal of the potentially dangerous parts of the cervix) is the same whether HPV is detected or not.
The best way to ensure that you get the STD testing you need is to visit an STD clinic. At an STD clinic, the medical staff specialise in the diagnosis and treatment of STDs. Many people visit an STD clinic to get the testing that they need, knowing that they’ll also be able to receive treatment if it turns out that they have an STD.
Not all STD testing is done via a pelvic exam. In fact, this is usually unnecessary. If you’re having symptoms, then your doctor may do a pelvic exam to collect some of the abnormal discharge or fluid from the sores, which will be sent to a laboratory for testing. However, when you don’t have symptoms, then STD testing in Singapore is done in other ways.
Screening for gonorrhea and chlamydia is usually done through a urine test. It’s also possible to diagnose these diseases based on tests of samples of discharge from the vagina or penis, but the urine test is much more comfortable and serves as a good screening test. When you go to an STD clinic for your STD testing, you’ll be asked to give a urine sample.
Other STD testing is done via a blood test. This includes screening for some of the most dangerous STDs, including HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. In the case of HIV and the hepatitis viruses, there are often no symptoms of the illness until it enters its later stages, so screening is particularly important. Syphilis does cause an ulcerated sore to appear on the genitals when a person is first infected, but because the sore is usually painless, it’s easy to overlook it. In its later stages, syphilis causes damage to a variety of body systems. When you go for your STD testing, a blood sample will be drawn for the testing.
An HIV test can also be done on oral fluid, collected on a swab from the inside of the cheek. This type of test may be preferred by those who don’t like having blood drawn. However, it only tests for HIV, so it could miss an infection with other STDs.
Sources:
Mayo Clinic. “STD symptoms: Common STDs and their symptoms.” Mayo Clinic. Published 18 Mar 2015. Accessed 25 Jun 2016. http://www.mayoclinic.org/std-symptoms/art-20047081
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 25 Feb 2014. Accessed 26 Jun 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/std/general/default.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Screening Recommendations Referenced in Treatment Guidelines and Original Recommendation Sources.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 4 Jun 2015. Accessed 20 Jun 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/screening-recommendations.htm
Mayo Clinic. “STD testing: What’s right for you?” Mayo Clinic. Published 23 Sep 2014. Accessed 08 Jul 2016. http://www.mayoclinic.org/std-testing/art-20046019
References