STD Testing Dallas, TX » Chlamydia

Dallas – “How I contracted and STD.”

luscio — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:50:15 +0000

Here is another testimonial.

My name is Dallas, and this is my story of how I contracted and STD. One night about 8 yrs ago, I had been out having a few drinks. Well I had met this enticing young woman, we hit it off and things were going rather well. We went back to my place and one thing led to another, we wound up sleeping together that night and several nights after. It was after the fourth or fifth time that I began to notice that it burned when I urinated and underneath the tip of my penis had become enlarged. When I tried to contact the woman, she was no where to be found. Myself being a little stubborn and stupid, thought that it would go away on its own. Now by this time it a couple of weeks had passes and the pain had only gotten worse.

One Night Stands...
It was so bad that I deliberately stopped eating and drinking just so I wouldn’t have to go to the restroom, trust me when I tell you this didn’t help. So after a couple of weeks of pain and burning I broke down and went the to the doctor. Now the next part was the most embarrassing, I had to pull my penis out and show it to the ER doctor, so she could see what was wrong. Then they took a cue tip and swabbed the inside of the penis head to get a specimen. After waiting for a while she came back and said that it was Chlamydia. She asked if I had been having unprotected sex and I told her yes. I asked should there have been a warning sign during intercourse where I should have known something was wrong? She said that every case is different, well then I began to think back and did remember that during one night it was painful during intercourse. She said that that could have been the night that I contracted the STD. I was horrified, here I was at the age of 23 with my first and hopefully last STD. She said that with medication the symptoms would go away and that I would be fine. From that point on I use a condom every time that I have intercourse, this was a slap in the face tome because I thought that I was invincible. But, at that age I guess that we all think that. This was the wake up call that I never wanted to get. Yes, it was scary but I have made it a priority in my life now to use a condom every time that I have sex with someone.

Now I know that some of you may be tempted to blame the female in this spot, and at first I did as well. Should she have told me yes, but it was my responsibility to use and carry a condom with me. I look back and at times I do regret it but then I think that it could have been much worse than what it turned out to be and for that I am very thankful for this to have happened when it did. Let this be a lesson that hopefully you wont have to go through, men always carry a condom. Women don’t take a mans word that he doesn’t have anything, always request that he uses a condom or nothing happens. If you happen to be someone who has an STD, take precautions but please be upfront with anyone that you think you could get sexually involved with. Yes some people are going to walk away from you but there will be those ones who will be okay with it and use the proper protection for themselves and for you as well. Thanks for listening to my story. Hopefully, it will entice you to protect yourself from this sad and embarrassing situation.

STD’s During Pregnancy

luscio — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:07:59 +0000

Not testing for STDs during pregnancy can be extremely dangerous to both the mother and the unborn child, and sometimes even fatal to the child. STD’s can passed on by sexual contact involving the mouth, anus or vagina. Testing for STD’s is a standard process during the first office visit with an OB/GYN after finding out a woman is expecting. It is crucial that if an STD is diagnosed that it is treated along with any sexual partners. If your partner is not treated, reinfection will occur. Make sure and use protection for a week after both partners have been treated to give the infection time to clear up.

STD testing during pregnancy

If a woman is diagnosed with Chlamydia and/or Gonorrhea during pregnancy, she might not experience any symptoms at all. Chlamydia is the most commonly diagnosed STD. People infected with Chlamydia often are also infected with Gonorrhea. If there are slight symptoms seen with Chlamydia, often they appear as a slight discharge or lower abdominal pain. If Chlamydia is left untreated, it can cause preterm labor or postpartum endometriosis (inflammation of the uterus). If Chlamydia is passed on the child during delivery it may cause pneumonia or conjunctivitis, which can lead to blindness. The symptoms of Gonorrhea might be discharge, itching or burning with urination. If Gonorrhea is passed on the baby, it too can cause eye problems that can lead to blindness. Gonorrhea and Chlamydia both carry an increased risk of miscarriage. Both STD’s can be treated with antibiotics.

Genital Herpes can be very dangerous. Herpes can be passed on to the baby during a vaginal delivery and can cause damage to the eyes and the central nervous system. In some cases it can even cause death to the child. If the woman contracts Herpes for the first time during pregnancy near the time of delivery, it may cause premature labor or restict intrauterine growth. In this case there is a 1 in 2 chance that it will be passed on to the baby. This risk can be reduced by cesarean delivery.

Condyloma, better known as Genital Warts, is caused by HPV, and there might not be any symptoms for months or even years. Babies that contract the virus can develop warts on the larynx (voice box), usually by the time they reach five years old. Performing a c-section is only done if the warts are so large that they interfere with a vaginal delivery. Treatment for the mother will be postponed until after the child is born.

Syphilis can cause miscarriage or stillbirth and if it is transmitted to the fetus, it can cause skin lesions or problems with the spleen, liver, bones or central nervous system. There are antibiotics that can be given during pregnancy to lower the risk of transmitting the infection to the fetus and stop the progression in the mother.

Hepatits B has many different symptoms that can occur, some of which are fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, grey stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). The body will either fight the virus and build up anitbodies or if the body can not build up antibodies to it, the person becomes a chronic carrier. A chronic carrier can infect their child through the placenta. Women with Hepatitis B are more likely to have a premature delivery. An injection will be given to the newborn baby to immunize them from becoming infected.

HIV is increasing in women worldwide. Women account for 50% of the 40 million adults living with HIV/AIDS. A woman that has been exposed to HIV may not have symptoms for years and can still infect others, including her child. HIV can be passed on to an unborn child while still in the uterus, during delivery and after delivery through breastfeeding. Over 90% of children with AIDS contracted HIV from their mother. A c-section will decrease the risk of infecting the child. A child born with HIV, might not have symptoms for years. HIV may develop into AIDS, and the only way to know if you have HIV is an HIV test. If a woman is HIV positive and does not take any medications during pregnancy to prevent transmission to the baby, there is a 25% chance of passing the virus on the unborn child. If medications are taken, the risk is then lowered to less than 2%. All pregnant women need to be tested. If there has been an exposure, start on anti-viral medication as soon as possible.

If you are given medication to treat any STD, make sure you take the full prescription, even if symptoms have gone away. The only sure form of protection is abstinence. If there is any sexual activity, practice safe sex. Always use a condom with spermicide. Make sure if you use a lubricant that it is water based. It is better to limit the number of sexual partners, the more partner, the higher the risk of contracting an STD. Everyone should practice monogamy, meaning having sex with only one person. That person must also have sex with only you to reduce the risk. If someone is sexually active, they should get STD testing regularly.

STD Facts

luscio — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:42:24 +0000

STD stands for sexually transmitted disease, which means that it is a disease or infection that can be transferred from one person to another through sexual contact. With many STD’s, there are no symptoms, which means a person can be exposed to an STD, be carrying the disease and transfer the disease on to someone else without ever having a sign or symptom of the disease. Of the people that have an STD, 80% will experience no noticeable symptoms. If an STD is left untreated it can have serious consequences. The consequences are usually worse in women than in men, including pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, cancer and sometimes even death. About 1/3 of infertility in women is caused by STD’s. The best way to prevent any sexually transmitted disease is to abstain from have any sexual contact. If someone is sexually active, the best protection available is condoms. Male condoms reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted infections by 98%. The female condoms only reduce the risk by 70%, they are not as effective and sometimes very uncomfortable for the female. The condom needs to be worn properly in order to maintain their effectiveness. For maximum effectiveness use a lubricant with spermicide along with the condom. Every year, 9 million people under 25 contract a new STD. There are more than 20 diseases that are transmitted through sexual contact. The most common sexually transmitted diseases in the United States are Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Herpes, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS. All of these are not treatable.

STD Facts

Chlamydia is caused by a bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia is the most frequently reported STD. The symptoms are usually mild or none at all. It can take up to 3 weeks to notice any symptoms at all. Women might experience a vaginal discharge or burning with urination. If chlamydia is left untreated and spreads, a woman will experience abdominal/low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse or bleeding between periods. Men might experience discharge from the penis or burning with urination. If infected with chlamydia through anal sex, a person might experience rectal pain, discharge or bleeding. Chlamydia has also been found in the throat of a person performing oral sex. In women that have been infected with Chlamydia and it was left untreated, 40% ended up with pelvic inflammatory disease. In women, it can also cause permanent damage to the reproductive system, leading to ectopic pregnancy and women with Chlamydia are five times more likely to become infected with HIV if exposed. Chlamydia and Gonorrhea often infect a person at the same time. Chlamydia is a treatable std. During 2008, there were 1,486 new cases of Chlamydia in Collin County and 13,495 new cases in Dallas County.

Gonorrhea is also known as The Clap. Gonorrhea is caused by a bacteria called Neisseria Gonorrhoeae. It is more common for men to not experience any signs or symptoms with
Gonorrhea. Sometimes it can take up to 30 days for symptoms to appear. Men might experience discharge from the penis, painful urination and even painful or swelling of the testicles. In women symptoms are often mild and mistaken for a urinary tract infection. Symptoms of rectal infection can be anal discharge or itching, anal bleeding and painful bowel movements. In the throat, it can cause a sore throat. If gonorrhea is left untreated in a woman it can cause infertility, and in men it can lead to epididymitis. Gonorrhea can spread to the blood or joints and can be life threatening. Gonorrhea is a treatable std. During 2008, there were 364 new cases of Gonorrhea in Collin County and 5,070 new cases in Dallas County.

Syphilis is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum. Many people that contract Syphilis do not have symptoms for years. There are three different stages of Syphilis. The first stage, or primary stage, a person might experience a single sore or multiple sores at the spot where Syphilis entered the body. If left untreated, the sore will heal but the infection will progress. The second stage, or the secondary stage, is the development of a rash, fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, muscle ache and fatigue. Again these symptoms may resolve without treatment but the infection still progresses. The third stage, or the latent stage, can damage the internal organs; the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, liver, bones and joints. The damage may be serious enough to cause death. Syphilis is a treatable std.

Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease caused by Herpes Simplex Virus type I or type II. Symptoms typically appear as blisters on or around the vaginal or rectal area. The first outbreak usually occurs within 2 weeks of exposure and can take 2-4 weeks to resolve. There is no treatment for Herpes, however there are anti-viral medications available to decrease the number of outbreaks and lessen the severity of the outbreaks. Of Americans 12 and older, 1 out of every 5 has Herpes.

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver. Hepatitis can be acute or chronic and can result in long term health problems. An acute infection is a short term illness that usually occurs within six months of exposure. Typically an acute infection leads to chronic infection. There is an immunization available for Hepatitis B, but not for Hepatitis C.

The one that usually scares people the most is HIV/AIDS. Many people may not realize they are infected as this virus doesn’t show any symptoms the first few years. HIV testing is the only way to know for sure if you have been infected. There are many ways of treating this virus that can prolong an infected person’s life. For many this virus will progress to AIDS and eventually death. As of December 2008, there were 35,014 people living with HIV or AIDS in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

In the state of Texas, Dallas is ranked # 2 for the cities with the highest rates of STD’s. This is a serious epidemic worldwide, but with the numbers as high as they are, everyone should want to be safer. Seventy million Americans currently have a sexually transmitted disease. Sexually transmitted diseases or infections can be passed on to another person by oral sex, vaginal sex, rectal sex and can also be passed on to a baby during labor from the mother. If anyone is involved in sexual relations, this person should be tested regularly. Since so many STD’s don’t have any symptoms, a person can be infected with a disease and pass it on to another person and not know that they are infected. Many of these STD’s are treatable, but you have to get tested in order to receive treatment. People should be aware of their partners sexual behaviors. Abstaining from sexual activity is the best form of prevention.