Contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) can be quite a scary thought. After all, STDs can inflict a lot of pain, cause ugly bumps and scars or even be lethal. It is also very difficult to speak about STDs to loved ones without judgement. Most people may not even know that there are STD clinics in Singapore, where they can be diagnosed and treated for all STDs and other sexual health concerns. Because they see many patients with various sexual health concerns, these STD clinics do not judge patients’ past sexual history. Instead, the doctors at these clinics will likely find out more about your sexual history to help with the process of diagnosing the right STD. Diagnosing an STD is a multi-step process. Here are some steps an STD doctor may take to help you diagnose an STD.

Physical Symptoms

During the initial consultation with your doctor, you will be asked about the physical symptoms you experience. Physical symptoms, especially ones near the genitals, are a clear sign of an STD. These symptoms could include warts, bumps on the skin, pain when having sex or urinating, or pain when touching the genitals. Each STD has a different list of possible physical symptoms, so helping your doctor identify which symptoms you are experiencing will help them to correctly recommend laboratory tests that would confirm the presence of specific STDs in your body. Your doctor may also request to physically examine any external physical symptoms for a more accurate assessment of the condition.

Lab Tests

After a physical examination and a brief enquiry into your sexual history, your doctor would be able to determine which lab tests should be conducted. Lab tests are a more definitive way of confirming a diagnosis. Lab tests are also very important because some STDs do not exhibit symptoms; the only way to detect them is through lab tests. Lab tests will likely require the doctor to take some blood samples (to test for viral infections like HIV), swabs of your genitalia (for bacterial infections like chlamydia) or urine samples. These tests will take some time to complete but, once the results are complete, you will know exactly which STDs you have contracted and how (if possible) to cure them.

Post-Consultation

Because the lab test results can take a while, the doctor will likely schedule you for a follow-up appointment. Until then, the doctor may provide you with topical medication to ease physical symptoms like genital warts. The doctor may also prescribe some oral medication such as painkillers. These medications should be taken according to the prescription and will help you to manage your infection. When the results are released, the doctor will recommend specific treatments for the STDs that you tested positive for.

Conclusion

Doctors at STD clinics are ready and able to help anyone with symptoms of STDs.