Are you worried about your sexual health and wondering, “where is free STD testing near me?” Read below to learn more about sexually transmitted diseases and schedule an appointment at Community Pregnancy Clinics to get tested.
Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted disease caused by bacteria (chlamydia trachomatis) that can damage a woman’s reproductive organs. Because symptoms of chlamydia are mild or absent, it can cause permanent damage, like infertility, before a woman even knows about it.
Three quarters of infected women and half of infected men have no symptoms. The infection is frequently not diagnosed or treated until complications develop. In women, the bacteria initially attack the opening to the uterus (cervix) and the urine canal (urethra).
The few women with symptoms might have an abnormal vaginal discharge or a burning sensation when urinating. When the infection spreads from the cervix to the fallopian tubes, some women still have no symptoms: others have lower abdominal pain, low back pain, nausea, fever, pain during intercourse and bleeding between menstrual periods. Whenever the infection spreads past the cervix into the upper reproductive system, permanent damage can occur. This is one reason why you need to know if you have Chlamydia before you have an abortion. If you do not get treated with antibiotics, the abortion may spread the infection into the upper reproductive system.
Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry, our pregnancy resource center is here to answer any questions you may have about your sexual health.
Gonorrhea
Did you know the development of antimicrobial resistance in neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gonorrhea) is a growing public health concern especially because only one remaining class of antibiotics is recommended for its treatment.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, ciprofloxacin resistance began to arise in Hawaii and the West Coast, and by 2004, ciprofloxacin resistance was elevated in MSM (men who have sex with men). In 2006, 13.8% of isolates exhibited resistance to ciprofloxacin, and was present in all regions of the country, including the heterosexual population. On April 13, 2007, CDC stopped recommending fluoroquinolones as treatment for gonococcal infections for all persons in the United States.
A major challenge to monitoring emerging antimicrobial resistance of N. gonorrhoeae is the substantial decline in capability of laboratories to perform essential gonorrhea culture techniques required for antibiotic testing. For more information check out website: cdc.gov/std/Gonorrhea
Schedule a free STI test at our Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota, or Gainesville clinic today.
