What is gonorrhea and how do you get it?

Gonorrhea is an infection caused by a sexually transmitted bacterium that can infect both males and females. It most often affects the urethra, rectum or throat. In females, gonorrhea can also infect the cervix. Gonorrhea is most commonly spread during sex. But babies can be infected during childbirth if their mothers are infected. Pregnant women should consider getting tested.

If you would like to test for gonorrhea, consider also testing for chlamydia as these two STDs frequently occur together. 

What are the symptoms of gonorrhea?

In many cases, gonorrhea infection causes no symptoms. When symptoms do appear, gonorrhea infection can affect multiple sites in your body, but it commonly appears in the genital tract.

Signs and symptoms of gonorrhea infection in men include:

• Painful urination
• Pus-like discharge from the tip of the penis
• Pain or swelling in one testicle

Signs and symptoms of gonorrhea infection in women include:

• Increased vaginal discharge
• Painful urination
• Vaginal bleeding between periods, such as after vaginal intercourse
• Painful intercourse
• Abdominal or pelvic pain

How soon can I be tested after being exposed to gonorrhea?

2 to 14 days

The incubation period ranges from 1 to 14 days, with most men becoming symptomatic within 2 to 5 days after exposure. The incubation period in women is variable, but symptoms, when they do occur, usually develop within 10 days of exposure.

All individuals diagnosed with gonorrhea should be retested 3 months after completing treatment.

For more information:

CDC Fact Sheet

Gonorrhea overview - Mayo Clinic

Next Steps After Testing Positive for Gonorrhea or Chlamydia - CDC

Should you get tested? - questionnaire from Planned Parenthood

Time periods of interest (HIV, STDs, Viral Hepatitis) - ND Department of Health

How soon can I get tested for STDs after unprotected sex? - STDcheck.com

What is herpes and how do you get it?

Herpes is a common virus that is spread from skin-to-skin contact with infected areas, often during vaginal sex, oral sex, anal sex, and kissing. Herpes can be annoying and painful, but it usually doesn’t lead to serious health problems. More than half of Americans have oral herpes, and about 1 out of 6 Americans has genital herpes. So chances are a few people you know are living with herpes. At RapidTestMe, we test for and treat genital herpes.

What are the symptoms of genital herpes?

The most common herpes symptom are sores on your genitals or mouth. But most of the time there are no symptoms or the signs of herpes may be so mild you don’t even notice them. Sometimes people confuse herpes symptoms with other things, like pimples, ingrown hairs, and the flu.

Herpes symptoms come and go, but that doesn’t mean the infection goes away or that you can’t spread it to other people. Once you have herpes, it stays in your body for life.

The most common symptoms of genital herpes is a group of itchy or painful blisters on your vagina, vulva, cervix, penis, butt, anus, or the inside of your thighs. The blisters break and turn into sores. You might have these other symptoms too:

• burning when you pee if your urine touches the herpes sores
• having trouble peeing because the sores and swelling are blocking your urethra
• itching
• pain around your genitals

If your genital herpes is caused by HSV-2, you might also have flu-like symptoms, such as:

• swollen glands in your pelvic area, throat, and under your arms
• fever
• chills
• headache
• feeling achy and tired

How soon can I be tested after being exposed to genital herpes?

4 to 6 weeks

*Even if you tested negative for genital herpes, it is advised to retest after 3 months to confirm the initial results.

The first outbreak usually starts about 2 to 20 days after you get infected with herpes. But sometimes it takes years for the first outbreak to happen.

For more information:

How soon can I get tested for STDs after unprotected sex? - STDcheck.com

Oral and Genital Herpes - Planned Parenthood

What is HIV?

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that attacks cells that help the body fight infection, making a person more vulnerable to other infections and diseases. It is spread by contact with certain bodily fluids of a person with HIV, most commonly during unprotected sex or through sharing injection drug equipment.

If left untreated, HIV can lead to the disease AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). In the U.S., most people with HIV do not develop AIDS because taking HIV medicine every day as prescribed stops the progression of the disease.

What Are the Symptoms of HIV?

The only way to know for sure if you have HIV is to get tested. You can’t rely on symptoms to tell whether you have HIV. Below are the three stages of HIV and some of the symptoms people may experience.

Stage 1: Acute HIV Infection

Within 2 to 4 weeks after infection with HIV, about two-thirds of people will have a flu-like illness. This is the body’s natural response to HIV infection.

Flu-like symptoms can include fever, chills, rash, night sweats, muscle aches, sore throat, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and mouth ulcers. These symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks. But some people do not have any symptoms at all during this early stage of HIV. Don’t assume you have HIV just because you have any of these symptoms.

Stage 2: Clinical Latency

This period is sometimes called asymptomatic HIV infection or chronic HIV infection. During this phase, HIV is still active but reproduces at very low levels. People may not have any symptoms or get sick during this time.

Stage 3: AIDS

AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection that occurs when the body’s immune system is badly damaged because of the virus.

How soon can I be tested after being exposed to the HIV virus?

2 to 4 weeks

One recommended strategy is to get tested 2-4 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months after a risky exposure. Using a sensitive antigen/antibody HIV test, of those who are infected, most will test positive at 1 month; almost all will test positive at 3 months; and the rest will test positive at 6 months.

What do I do if I test positive for HIV?

See a doctor as soon as possible so you can start treatment with HIV medicine. And be aware: when you are in the early stage of infection, you are at very high risk of transmitting HIV to others.

For more information:

What are HIV and AIDS? - HIV.gov

STDs and HIV – CDC Fact Sheet

HIV Basics - CDC

Time periods of interest (HIV, STDs, Viral Hepatitis) - ND Department of Health

How soon can I get tested for STDs after unprotected sex? - STDcheck.com

What is syphilis and how do you get it?

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection that can cause serious health problems if it is not treated. You can get syphilis by direct contact with a syphilis sore during vaginal, anal, or oral sex. 

Syphilis is divided into stages (primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary). There are different signs and symptoms associated with each stage. Syphilis can spread from an infected mother to her unborn baby. All pregnant women should be tested for syphilis at their first prenatal visit.

What are the symptoms of syphilis?

Primary Stage
During the first (primary) stage of syphilis, you may notice a single sore or multiple sores. The sore is the location where syphilis entered your body. Sores are usually (but not always) firm, round, and painless. Because the sore is painless, it can easily go unnoticed. The sore usually lasts 3 to 6 weeks and heals regardless of whether or not you receive treatment. Even after the sore goes away, you must still receive treatment. This will stop your infection from moving to the secondary stage.

Secondary Stage
During the secondary stage, you may have skin rashes and/or mucous membrane lesions. Mucous membrane lesions are sores in your mouth, vagina, or anus. This stage usually starts with a rash on one or more areas of your body. The rash can show up when your primary sore is healing or several weeks after the sore has healed. The rash can look like rough, red, or reddish brown spots on the palms of your hands and/or the bottoms of your feet. The rash usually won’t itch and it is sometimes so faint that you won’t notice it. Other symptoms you may have can include fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue (feeling very tired). The symptoms from this stage will go away whether or not you receive treatment. Without the right treatment, your infection will move to the latent and possibly tertiary stages of syphilis.

Latent Stage
The latent stage of syphilis is a period of time when there are no visible signs or symptoms of syphilis. If you do not receive treatment, you can continue to have syphilis in your body for years without any signs or symptoms.

Tertiary Stage
Most people with untreated syphilis do not develop tertiary syphilis. However, when it does happen it can affect many different organ systems. These include the heart and blood vessels, and the brain and nervous system. Tertiary syphilis is very serious and would occur 10–30 years after your infection began.

How soon can I be tested after being exposed to syphilis?

As early as 1 to 2 weeks

*Note: The highest accuracy can be expected within about three months, with false positive results possible any time within the initial 90 days after infection.

How do you test for syphilis and can it be treated or cured?

A blood test is used to test for syphilis. Yes, syphilis can be cured with the right antibiotics but treatment might not undo any damage that the infection has already done.

For more information:

Syphilis facts - CDC Fact Sheet

Time periods of interest (HIV, STDs, Viral Hepatitis) - ND Department of Health

How soon can I get tested for STDs after unprotected sex? - STDcheck.com

Syphilis & MSM - CDC Fact Sheet

What is trichomoniasis and how do you get it?

Trichomoniasis (or “trich”) is the most common curable STD in the US with an estimated 3.7 million people infected. It is caused by infection with a protozoan parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. Infection is more common in women than in men. Older women are more likely than younger women to have been infected with trichomoniasis.

Getting tested is the only way to know for sure if you have trichomoniasis. Get tested if you or your partner have signs of trich. 

What are the symptoms of trichomoniasis?

Not all people infected with trich have symptoms. When trichomoniasis does cause symptoms, they can range from mild irritation to severe inflammation. Some people with symptoms get them within 5 to 28 days after being infected. Others do not develop symptoms until much later. Symptoms can come and go and trich can be easily mistaken for a urinary tract infection (UTI).

Men with trichomoniasis may notice:

• Itching or irritation inside the penis;
• Burning after urination or ejaculation;
• Discharge from the penis.

Women with trichomoniasis may notice:

• Itching, burning, redness or soreness of the genitals;
• Discomfort with urination and sex;
• A change in their vaginal discharge (i.e., thin discharge or increased volume) that can be clear, white, yellowish, or greenish with an unusual fishy smell.

How soon can I be tested after being exposed to trichomoniasis?

28 days (or as soon as you have symptoms)

The incubation period for a trich infection is typically between 5 to 28 days and can vary from person to person. The parasite is easily spread during this time and can return false negative test results. To reduce chances of false negatives, wait 28 days after potential exposure to be tested for trichomoniasis.

How do you test for trichomoniasis and can it be treated or cured?

Testing for trich is as simple as peeing in a cup. 

Trichomoniasis can be treated and cured with one dose of an oral medication (either metronidazole or tinidazole). It is safe for pregnant women to take this medication. 

About 1 in 5 people get infected again within 3 months after receiving treatment. To avoid getting reinfected, make sure that all of your sex partners get treated. Also, wait 7- 10 days after you and your partner have been treated to have sex again. Get checked again if your symptoms come back.

For more information:

Trichomoniasis - CDC Fact Sheet

How soon can I get tested for STDs after unprotected sex? - STDcheck.com