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If you are sexually active, it’s possible you could have an STI (sexually transmitted infection) or an STD (sexually transmitted disease). If left untreated, sexually transmitted infections can cause severe damage to your body. You don’t have to have symptoms to be contagious; you can spread or contract the disease without even knowing. The two most common STDs are chlamydia and gonorrhea. We offer limited, no-cost STD testing for qualifying patients with a positive pregnancy test.
How Can I Get an STI?
You can contract an STI through any type of sexual activity, such as vaginal, anal, and oral sex and genital touching. According to the Mayo Clinic, bacteria, viruses, or parasites that cause sexually transmitted diseases may pass from person to person in blood, semen, or vaginal and other bodily fluids.
Not even a condom is 100% effective. Some sexually transmitted diseases, such as herpes and human papillomavirus (HPV), can be transmitted by contact with the skin in areas not covered by a condom.
Get Regularly Tested
Only regular testing will keep you and your partner(s) safe. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in five people (nearly 68 million) has an STI.
Why Get Tested?
Untreated STIs can lead to severe health problems. For instance, untreated chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in women, potentially leading to infertility.
Before you undergo an abortion procedure, it’s important to be tested for STIs. Undiagnosed STIs during your abortion may cause complications following your procedure, including Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). PID can lead to serious consequences including infertility and ectopic pregnancy. When PID is caused by chlamydia infection, a woman may be more likely to experience only mild symptoms even when serious damage is being done to her reproductive organs.
Can I Be Pregnant And Have An STD?
Unfortunately, you can be pregnant and have an STD at the same time. In fact, having an untreated STD while pregnant can cause serious harm to you and to your pregnancy.
If you have had unprotected sex with a high-risk partner or shared needles, it’s important to get tested immediately.
How We Can Help
The two most common STDs are chlamydia and gonorrhea. We offer limited, no-cost STD testing for qualifying patients with a positive pregnancy test.
Our first priority is your health and well-being. That’s why we can provide you with referrals for many services or resources we cannot provide.
Whether you need additional STD/STI testing, or want information on available resources, we can help put you in touch with the right organizations that can help.
