Anal STI Testing: FAQs, How-Tos, Treatment & More
Chlamydia Vaccine Shows Promise In Early Trial
A chlamydia vaccine has triggered immune responses in an early trial, raising hopes that one day it might help curb the spread of the sexually transmitted infection (STI).
There is currently no vaccine for chlamydia, which is the most common bacterial STI in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In the new trial results, published April 11 in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, the vaccine was found to be safe and it also prompted an antibody response.
"This is desperately needed," David Harvey, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors, told NBC News. "We have the highest STI rates in America since the 1950s and possibly beyond."
Chlamydia also remains one of the most common causes of infertility in women, Dr. Jay Varma, a professor of population health sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, told NBC News. If left untreated, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which makes it harder to get pregnant.
The bacteria can also cause an eye infection that leads to vision loss in 1.9 million people worldwide.
In the new Phase 1 trial, which took place from 2020 through 2022, participants were equally split between healthy men and women with an average age of 26. The researchers tested several different dosages for the vaccine, and participants got either the vaccine or a placebo on three separate days over a period of almost four months.
Despite the promising results, many questions remain.
"Does it confer the ability to hold off infection with chlamydia?" asked Dr. Hilary Reno, a professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and medical director of the St. Louis County Sexual Health Clinic. "If you do have an infection, does it mean you're more likely to have an asymptomatic infection?"
"We don't know that, and that's what the next phase of studies would be," she told NBC News.
The researchers are already planning to launch a larger, Phase 2 trial that would weigh the vaccine's effectiveness.
The hope is that one day the vaccine could prevent both infections in the reproductive system and the eyes, said study author Jes Dietrich, a senior scientist at Statens Serum Institut in Denmark.
In addition to a shot in the arm, volunteers in the study also got a vaccine in the form of an eye drop.
"I was very pleasantly surprised, because it's really difficult to induce immunity in the eye," Dietrich told NBC News.
There are a handful of vaccines that can prevent other sexually transmitted infections: the HPV vaccine, the hepatitis B vaccine and the mpox vaccine, although recent research has suggested that booster doses of the mpox vaccine might be needed.
More information: Katrina M Pollock et al, An investigation of trachoma vaccine regimens by the chlamydia vaccine CTH522 administered with cationic liposomes in healthy adults (CHLM-02): a phase 1, double-blind trial, The Lancet Infectious Diseases (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00147-6
The U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on chlamydia.
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STDcheck.com Review: Everything You Need To Know
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If you believe you've been exposed to an STI, testing is a smart first step. Here we explain how STDcheck.Com works, what tests it offers, and more.
STDcheck․com aims to provide a judgment- and hassle-free testing experience for sexually transmitted infections (STIs). To use this service, you purchase the laboratory test you want at STDcheck.Com and get tested in person at one of their certified laboratories.
There are individual tests and a 10-test panel covering many of the most commonly diagnosed STIs.
Here's everything you need to know to help decide whether STDcheck․com is the right service for you.
ProcessSTDcheck․com's STD Test Recommender tool evaluates which tests you need based on your answers to a few sexual health questions. You can also check the STI screening recommendations the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created to determine which tests you need.
To use the STDcheck.Com service, follow these steps:
STDcheck․com offers a variety of individual and panel tests; that range in cost from $24 for some single tests to $259 for the full panel.
STDcheck․com doesn't accept insurance. If requested, it will provide you with an itemized receipt you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement.
You can also use your health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA) funds. If you use a credit card, the transaction will show up as "HealthLabs.Com" on your statement.
AccuracySTDcheck․com claims that its tests are 99% accurate. But it suggests waiting to get tested until after the STI incubation period has passed to get the most reliable results.
The incubation period is the amount of time it takes for your body to create antibodies against the infection. This period depends on the type of potential infection and can range from a few days to a few weeks. Since the test will detect the presence of antibodies, waiting until this period has passed helps ensure antibodies will be present.
Customer reviewsOn Better Business Bureau (BBB), STDcheck.Com is listed under its parent company, Analyte Health. In addition to STDcheck.Com, Analyte's businesses also include Healthlabs.Com and Paternitylab.Com. The company has more than 1,300 reviews and has an A+ rating.
Reviewers mention:
STDcheck․com's website has more than 5,000 reviews, with an overall rating of 9.8 out of 10.
It's possible to contract more than one STI at a time. And because some STIs don't show symptoms, you may not know you have one. If you're not sure which STI you may have been exposed to, this panel tests for 10 of the most common bacterial and viral STIs, including:
Product detailsThis version of the 10-test panel adds an HIV RNA test. If left untreated, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
There's currently no cure for HIV or AIDS. However, with early detection and treatment of HIV, proven effective medications, including antiretroviral therapy (ART), can significantly slow disease progression. With treatment, most HIV positive people in the U.S. Don't develop AIDS.
HIV antibodies can take 23–90 days to form, so a traditional antibody test cannot be taken right away.
However, this HIV RNA early detection test looks for HIV genetic material instead, so it can detect the virus within 10 days after exposure.
Product detailsChlamydia is a bacterial infection, so this test requires a urine sample to check for the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis. Chlamydia doesn't always show symptoms so transmission can occur quickly and unnoticed. It can affect fertility if it goes untreated.
Antibiotic treatment is a simple process and highly effective. Both you and your partner will need to receive Chlamydia treatment before engaging in sexual contact. You can transfer the bacteria to each other during your course of antibiotics if the infection isn't completely cleared.
Product detailsGonorrhea is a bacterial infection, so it can be cured with a course of antibiotics. Typical symptoms can include:
Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It's passed through sexual activity but is more commonly transferred by consuming food or drinks containing the virus.
Symptoms include flu-like symptoms (fever and fatigue), stomach pain, and loss of appetite. These can last for up to 2 months before the infection clears, typically on its own. Avoiding alcohol, if you drink, and other harmful substances when possible while your body recovers can help your liver heal.
Product detailsHepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B (HAB) virus. It can lead to serious complications like cirrhosis or liver cancer. It can be transmitted through genital fluids and blood. It can also be transferred from a birthing parent to their baby.
Your body may completely clear some infections, but others may become chronic infections that could lead to complications.
If you suspect you may have been exposed to the HAB virus, getting treatment as soon as possible (even before a test can detect an infection) can help your body mount a defense against it.
Product detailsThe CDC recommends hepatitis C testing for all adults ages 18 years and older, including pregnant people. The virus can eventually cause cirrhosis, liver cancer, and other serious complications if it's not treated.
This infection can only be transferred through blood. It may cause symptoms like fever, joint pain, and nausea. Your body may be able to create an effective immune response to the infection, but in most cases, this is a long-term infection, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Medical innovations are now available that can cure this type of infection. Although these innovations can be expensive, insurance may help cover the costs. You can check with your insurance provider for specific information about coverage.
Product detailsLearn more about the best at-home STD tests here.
On your results page, you'll see the name of your test and whether your result was negative or positive.
NegativeThe terms "not detected" or "nonreactive" mean the test didn't detect the STI in your body. In other words, you're negative.
Positive"Reactive" means the STI was detected. A number in the Value column is the reference range. It indicates whether the value is high enough to be considered positive. For example, a range of < 0.90 in the HSV-2 test means any results below 0.90 are considered negative.
STDcheck․com doesn't accept insurance payments, which it says is to protect its customers' privacy. The company will give you an itemized receipt to use for insurance reimbursement.
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), most private health insurance plans must cover the cost of recommended STI screening tests like HIV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. In order to receive reimbursement, make sure the lab where you get tested is in your health insurance network.
Is STDcheck a legitimate website?Yes. STDcheck.Com is an established online STD testing facilitator that works with laboratories nationwide. The company has a medical board of reviewers comprised of healthcare professionals and allied professionals.
It won a Better Business Bureau Winner of Distinction Award in 2017.
Yes. STDcheck.Com is an established online STD testing facilitator that works with laboratories nationwide. The company has a medical board of reviewers comprised of healthcare professionals and allied professionals.
It won a Better Business Bureau Winner of Distinction Award in 2017.
Is STDcheck FDA approved?According to the company, all STDcheck tests are either FDA approved or FDA cleared.
According to the company, all STDcheck tests are either FDA approved or FDA cleared.
How long do STDcheck results take?It depends on the test, but in general, STDcheck provides results within 2 days.
It depends on the test, but in general, STDcheck provides results within 2 days.
It's important to get tested for an STI if you think you might have been exposed to the respective bacteria or virus. Many of these infections don't have symptoms, and they can cause serious health problems if left untreated.
STDcheck.Com lets you order STI tests conveniently and anonymously and have them shipped to your home. You will not need a prescription or an appointment for the lab test, and you'll have results within a day or two.
If you test positive, the company offers access to a doctor who can advise you on the recommended next steps.
FCPH: April Is STI Awareness Month
FCPH: April is STI Awareness Month
One in five people in the US have an STI, with a reported 68 million infections in 2018. STI's are a very common public health concern so raising awareness of prevention is important. There are many high populations including teens and men who have sex with men (MSM). Half of the new reported STI were among people aged 15-24. There is a higher risk of HIV and syphilis among MSM.
What are sexually transmitted infections?
Sexually transmitted infections (STI) are infections that are passed from one person to another through vaginal, oral and anal sex. Not everyone experiences symptoms from an STI and some only experience mild symptoms, therefore it is possible to have an infection and not know it. Therefore, if you are having sex, you should be tested for STI's. STI's are preventable so protecting yourself and your partner is important.
Bacterial vaginosis is a common vaginal problem for women although it is not transmitted sexually it increases the risk of contracting an STI.
Chlamydia is a common STI that is treatable with oral medication but if left untreated can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant.
Gonorrhea is a common STI that is treatable with a single dose intramuscular injection of an antibiotic and oral medication if chlamydia is present. If left untreated gonorrhea can cause serious health problems.
Genital herpes is a common STI, and many people are unaware that they have it. Although there is no cure for genital there are medications available to prevent and shorten an outbreak. The medications also help decrease the risk of transmitting the infection to others.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is the most common STI, and most people have no symptoms. However, HPV can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. HPV is preventable with vaccines.
Trichomoniasis is a common STI that is treatable with oral medication. Most people with trichomoniasis have no symptoms.
Syphilis is an STI that is very treatable however if left untreated can cause very serious health problems.
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) is a serious condition caused by untreated STI's. PID increases the risk of a woman having difficulty getting pregnant.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an STI that weakens a person's immune system and destroys cells that help fight disease and infection. Although there is no cure for HIV with medication and proper medical care it can be controlled. If you have other STI's it increases your risk of HIV.
Viral hepatitis is an STI that causes inflammation in the liver. The most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, B and C.
STI's and pregnancy
Pregnant women have the same risk of contracting an STI as women who are not pregnant therefore it is important to be tested. STI's during pregnancy can cause complications during pregnancy and serious effects to both the woman the baby.
How do I prevent an STI?
Not having sex
Using condoms
Reducing the number of sexual partners
Being sexually active with only one person
Vaccinations for hepatitis B and HPV
Talk to your healthcare provider if you have not been tested for sexually transmitted infections recently, if you are experiencing any symptoms or if you have a new sexual partner. Fayette County Public Health offers STI testing through the Reproductive Health and Wellness Clinic.
Darci Moore, CNP, is a Certified Nurse Practitioner at Fayette County Public Health (FCPH). FCPH offers services through our Reproductive Health and Wellness Clinic (RHW) with late hours available to meet the needs of patients. Call the office today if you would like to schedule an appointment (740-335-5910). To learn more about RHW services, visit faycohd.Org.
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