STD Testing Dallas, TX

This is one of the scariest words you can have told to you. Mainly because you may not know what it means and what happens next. It is a virus that damages your body’s immun system, meaning it makes it harder for your body to fight off infections. Unforunately this disease also makes you more susceptible to different types of cancer and other infections such as pnuemonia and meningitis.AIDS is the name given when you are in the later stages of the disease.

HIV Testing Dallas

In early stages of the infection, the symptoms may include, fever, headache,swollen lymph glands, and a rash.In the beginning you may not have symptoms but you will still be able to pass the disease on to others. In the later stages of the disease, the first signs are swollen lymph nodes,diarrhea,weight loss,fever and a couch. By the time that AIDS has set in the signs and symptoms may be the following. Soaking night sweats, shaking chills or a fever higher than 100,dry couch, shortness of breath,chronic diarrhea,persistent white spots or unusual lesions on your tongue or in your mouth,headahces, blurred or distorted vision, and weight loss.
This disease is passed a number of different ways and here are just a few of them. Having unprotected sex with an infectious person, through blood transfusion of an infected donor.Through needle sharing, meaning drug needles used by someone who is a carrier of the disease. Just to let you know you cant get the disease by kissing or hugging,dancing or shaking hands. It has to be passed through blood or sexual secretions.
The complications of this disease are that you are more vulnerable to pneumonia, tuberculosis, salmonellosis, hepatitis,herpes and HPV.Also you become more vulnerable to different types of cancer.
Testing for HIV is done using blood or oral mucous, but it isnt accurate sometimes becaus ethe disease takes about 12 weeks for the antibodies to develop and in rare cases it could take up to 6 months.
As of now there is not cure for HIV/AIDS, but there are drugs that suppress the symptoms and reduce the amount of the virus in your blood to very low levels or to the fact of being undetectable. Now that doesnt mean that its gone.Testing will be done at the beginning of treatment and every 3-6 months to see if the meds are lowering the levels of the virus in the blood.
Now when being treated remember to follow your doctor’s guidelines. Get vaccinations for pneumonia and the flu, dont smoke or do any illicit drugs and try your best to eat a healthy diet. Find ways to relax,get plenty of rest.
When receiving this news go out and learn all that you can about the disease to better prepare yourself for the changes.Maintain a strong support system, do what you can to come to terms with the illness. If you have to seek out counseling, there are a vast number of support systems out there to help you through this.

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.

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Many people who get genital HPV, it will clear on it’s own with no treatment and with no symptoms. Most of the time, no health problems occur. The longer the virus is in the body, the higher the risk of experiencing health problems, including cervical, anal or throat cancer. The HPV virus lives in mucous membranes in the vagina, anus and throat.

Much of the information about HPV centers on women, since having the virus increases the risk of getting cervical cancer. HPV in men can cause health problems, too. Men have an increased risk of getting genital cancers, although these cancers are not common. HPV can also cause genital warts in men, just as in women.

Changing sexual practices have led to a dramatic rise in throat cancer in the United States. Increasing rates of HPV infections, spread through oral sex, is largely driving the rapid rise in oropharyngeal cancers, which include tumors of the throat, tonsils, and base of the tongue.

The appearance of warts is one way HPV infection is diagnosed. A doctor simply does a visual inspection. In women, an HPV test can be done by a doctor with a swab of cells from the cervix, just like a Pap Smear Test. There is no routine test for men to check for high-risk HPV strains that can cause cancer. However, some doctors are recommending anal Pap tests for gay and bisexual men.

There is no treatment for HPV infections when no symptoms are present. Instead, doctors treat the health problems that are caused by Human Papillomavirus.

Abstinence is the only sure way to prevent HPV transmission. The risk of transmission is lowered when a person has sex with only one person who is not infected and who is also monogamous. Condoms can provide some protection against HPV transmission. Unfortunately, they aren’t 100% effective, since HPV is transmitted primarily by skin to skin contact. The virus can still infect the skin uncovered by the condom. If a partner has HPV, it does not necessarily mean they have had sex with someone else recently. The virus can lay dormant in the body for years without causing noticeable symptoms.

Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease that comes in two versions.  Herpes simplex I (HSV I) is often called a cold sore and occurs on the mouth.  A very high percentage of people living on the earth have herpes simplex I.  Most commonly, herpes simplex I is spread by kissing.  A few weeks after infection cold sores appear.  However, not everyone gets symptoms.  Personally, I took a comprehensive HIV & STD testing in Plano from Any Lab Test Now and found out that I carry the herpes simplex I virus.  However, I have never had a cold sore.  Although a cold sore does not have to be present for someone to be contagious, the virus does have to be active in their DNA.  The problem is that no one knows when the virus is active if they do not have symptoms. 

2/3rd Dallas has Herpes

 Herpes simplex II (HSV II) is also known as genital herpes.  There are also a very high percentage of people living in Dallas with herpes.  I believe the figure is between 66%-75% of sexually active individuals.  Herpes II can cause symptoms on the mouth as well as the genitals.  Small blisters appear approximately two weeks after infection.  Once again, not all people infected with HSV II have symptoms.  An STD test is the only way to truly know.  It was believed up until a few years ago that herpes was only contagious when signs and symptoms are present.  Research has proven this theory wrong.  Similar to HSV I, it is also possible to be a carrier and to never have a herpes outbreak. 

The only way to truly know if you have herpes is to take a STD Test.  Dallas has many options where you can get tested.  I suggest Any Lab Test North Dallas if you live in that area.  The herpes I & II test costs only $49 ($39 with their website coupon) and you can be in-and-out in 15 minutes.  The best part is that they do not ask for identification.  I even used the name “Mickey Mouse”.  You get the results in 24-48hrs. 

Although there is currently no cure for herpes you do have many options.  There are medications that will eliminate the symptoms and prevent outbreak.  I believe there is soon to be released a once a day pill that will prevent outbreak as well as make the virus inactive.  Making the virus inactive will prevent others from becoming infected.

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.