A Sexually Transmitted Disease or an STD tends to spread quite quickly if not tested and diagnosed at its early stage. But an STD also comes with some amount of social censure and judgment. Therefore people often delay testing themselves for STD. You would be doing yourself and your partner a disservice by not getting tested and ensuring that you are STD-free.
STDs usually are characteristic of not having any symptoms, especially early on. In such stages, you would pose a bigger threat to your partner as you would have no clue whether you are infected or not. In such instances, even having protected sex can spread the infection.
As there are so many STDs, there isn’t any one single test that tests for all them. You need to get blood tests, physical exams, urine tests, and occasionally even taking tissue, mucus or saliva swabs. If you are wondering how much do STD tests cost, you should also know that most insurance programs also cover STD testing. The cost of STD tests is included in most comprehensive health insurance plans. You might be needed to make some small payment along with each test.
The STD tests cost much more if you are uninsured. It can cost anywhere between $50 to $200 per test and with so many STDs, it can work out to be a neat packet. The main STDs include HIV and AIDS, Chlamydia, herpes, hepatitis B, HPV, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), pubic lice, syphilis and gonorrhea.
You can go to your regular doctor and get the testing done. There are private clinics that also test for these infections. These clinics tend to be the most expensive option. There are options for discounted or free tests. For college students, for instance, low cost options are usually available at the college infirmary. The Center for Disease Control also provides low cost testing options at local centers. You can locate these centers online. There are even packages when it comes to testing for STDs. Some test search for the most common of the STDs prevalent and these tend to be cheaper as compared to the entire blood work. There is a lot of help online and through toll-free lines that will guide you and help you pick the best test. You should not delay testing at all, especially not because of the price. The after effects tend to be long-lasting. Most testing facilities are confidential.
Submitted by N on October 6, 2011 at 10:47