Syphilis

6 Best At-Home STD Tests Of 2024

Brooke Murad recognized that STIs that go undetected can affect fertility in people with vaginas, and as a newlywed, she thought it wise to test preemptively.

"It's important [for all folx] to get tested regularly, even when you have a long-term partner (as I do). We will be family planning in the next couple of years, so we will want to know of anything that might hurt our chances of a successful pregnancy and try to nip it in the bud."

Murad appreciated Nurx's package delivery, saying: "The test kit came in discreet packaging; the box the tests came in was completely blank, with no text. I appreciated their thoughtfulness on this, in case one might want to keep this information private."

Murad also said the kit included three tests: vaginal, throat, and blood — as well as a large step-by-step instructional card to guide you through the collection processes with visuals. She said each of the printed materials came with a corresponding QR code that provided videos and online instruction.

"My only qualm with this test is that they send you many more materials than you actually need. For example, they sent me four of the little pricking tools and several bandages, when they only instructed me to take a single prick.

"I was definitely more nervous heading into this test than I needed to be because I thought I might need to prick myself a few times."

Nurx processing seemed to take a little longer than other tests by Murad's account: "I shipped my results on a Tuesday and got a notice that they were received by Nurx on Saturday. It took an additional 5 days to receive the final results."

Murad says her results were shared directly from a nurse on their team. It came directly to her email inbox, as well as a message in the app.

"I was surprised that the results did not include any numbers/measurements. [My nurse] Carol interpreted my results for me. She explained that all of my results were negative, indicating that I do not have any of the conditions I was testing for. If a condition is present, you might expect to see more stats to help explain any abnormalities."

Murad notes that patients are eligible for follow-ups or to ask questions as part of this step.

Types Of STDs: Everything You Need To Know

An STD (sexually transmitted disease) is a condition that develops due to a virus, bacteria, or parasite that spreads through sexual contact. STDs may be referred to as STIs (sexually transmitted infections). An STI causes the condition, and an STD develops as a result of that infection. Many sources use these terms interchangeably.

Many different types of STDs present with various symptoms, such as rashes, itching, unusual discharge or bleeding, fever, and flu-like symptoms. Some STDs can lead to complications like infertility and cancer, especially if untreated.

Most STDs are curable, but some are chronic (long-lasting). About 20 million new cases of STIs occur each year, and this number appears to be increasing. Anyone sexually active can get an STD, but teenagers, young adults, and men who have sex with men are at the highest risk.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STD in the United States, and it's a virus that can affect anyone. HPV often doesn't cause symptoms, but some types of HPV can cause genital warts. In some cases, the virus may remain dormant and reactivate later. Routine screening is essential for identifying and treating HPV as soon as possible. When untreated, HPV can lead to various types of cancers, including mouth, throat, cervical, vulvar, penile, and anal cancer. While there is no medication to treat HPV, a vaccine is available to prevent contracting the virus. HPV treatment includes removals of warts. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV affects the body's immune system, destroying the blood cells that help fight infection and leading to a severely weakened immune system. Although there is no cure for HIV, there are antiviral medications that can significantly lower your viral load and allow you to live a long and healthy life. Chlamydia is an STD caused by bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. Symptoms include unusual discharge, burning when peeing, stomach pain, and fever. Some people who contract chlamydia don't have any symptoms. Untreated chlamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which can cause pelvic pain and damage the reproductive system. Chlamydia is treated with antibiotics. Gonorrhea is a condition caused by the bacteria Neisseria gonorrhoeae. This bacteria grows quickly in your reproductive tract and can cause unusual discharge and pain during urination. The infection can also spread to your mouth, throat, joints, rectum, and eyes. Gonorrhea is another STD that can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. Gonorrhea is treated with antibiotics. Public lice are tiny crab-looking parasites that attach to pubic hair and live off human blood. Symptoms include itching and the appearance of pubic lice and nits. Treatment involves washing all objects, towels, and linens you come into contact with and treating the lice with lice-killing lotions. Genital herpes is caused by a virus known as herpes simplex virus (HSV). Symptoms of genital herpes include cold sores on the mouth, genitals, or anus. It's also possible to have no symptoms. There is no cure for genital herpes, but medication can treat symptoms. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a condition affecting the female reproductive organs, such as the uterus, ovaries, cervix, and fallopian tubes. Various types of bacteria cause PID, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, and the bacteria that normally live in the vagina. PID can cause pelvic pain, unusual discharge, and fever. It may also lead to serious complications like infertility, increased risk for ectopic pregnancy, and tubo-ovarian abscess—an infectious mass in the ovaries that may lead to sepsis. PID is managed by treating the underlying bacterial infection with antibiotics. Syphilis is an STD caused by the bacteria Treponema pallidum. The main symptom of syphilis is an ulcer on the penis or vagina called a chancre. Untreated syphilis can spread to other areas of the body, as well as to a fetus during pregnancy—leading to congenital disorders. Syphilis is treated with antibiotics. Trichomoniasis is caused by a parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis. Symptoms include a burning sensation while peeing, genital soreness, redness, itching, and unusual discharge. Untreated trichomoniasis can increase the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight. Trichomoniasis can be treated with antibiotics. Mycoplasma genitalium (Mgen) is a bacteria that can cause infections in the cervix, uterus, rectum, or the urethra in the penis. Symptoms include unusual vaginal or penile discharge or burning while peeing, though some people experience no symptoms. Mgen can be treated with a course of antibiotics. Most cases of Zika spread through mosquitoes, but if you contract the virus that causes Zika, you can transmit it through sexual contact. Zika typically causes symptoms like fever, rash, and muscle aches. The virus can be passed to a developing fetus during pregnancy, which may result in congenital anomalies. There is no treatment for Zika currently, but you can help prevent contracting it by not traveling to places with Zika outbreaks and taking steps to prevent mosquito bites. Viral hepatitis is caused by three different hepatitis viruses: hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. All hepatitis viruses can cause serious inflammation of the liver. Most hepatitis infections can be prevented with vaccines and treated with antiviral agents. Bacterial vaginosis is a condition that occurs when the bacteria present in the vagina and surrounding area reach abnormally high levels, resulting in unusual vaginal discharge that may have a fish-like odor. If left untreated, bacterial vaginosis can progress to pelvic inflammatory disease and may increase the risk of preterm labor. Bacterial vaginosis can be treated with antibiotics. Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is an infection caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis—a different strain of the bacteria that causes chlamydia. LGV affects the lymphatic system and can cause genital sores, genital swelling, pain during bowel movements, swollen lymph nodes in the groin area, and blood or pus in your stool. LGV can be treated with antibiotics. Chancroid is a rare STD caused by a bacteria named Haemophilus ducreyi. It causes ulcers in the genital area and swollen lymph nodes. Untreated chancroid increases the likelihood of HIV transmission. Chancroid is treated with antibiotics. The only way to completely prevent STDs is to not engage in sexual contact. There are several other ways to significantly lower your chances of contracting an STD. Here are some steps you can take to decrease your risk: Regularly get STD testing and ask any potential partners to get tested before engaging in sex Use a condom or dental dam each time you have sex Decrease the number of people you have sexual contact with If you test positive for an STD, make sure to get treatment right away. Getting treated for STDs often reduces the risk of spreading them to others. It also prevents complications, protecting your overall health and sexual health. There are many different types of STDs, or sexually transmitted diseases. Viral, bacterial, or parasitic infections cause STDs. Each STD presents with different symptoms and can affect the body in varying ways. It's important to identify and treat STDs promptly to reduce the risk of complications and transmission to others. Taking steps to practice safe sex can help prevent the transmission of STDs.

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The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention Released 2023 STD Case Numbers That Show Improvement Nationally, But Georgia Lags

Despite improvements in the rates of sexually transmitted diseases across the country, the infection rate remains high in Georgia, especially for gonorrhea and chlamydia, according to data released Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nationally, the numbers represented some good news about sexually transmitted diseases and infections, which showed alarming increases in recent years due to declining condom use, inadequate sex education and reduced testing and treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nationwide, more than 2.4 million cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia were diagnosed and reported last year — 1.6 million cases of chlamydia, 600,000 of gonorrhea, and more than 209,000 of syphilis. However, the latest data from CDC show signs the epidemic could be slowing.

STDs can cause lifelong complications if left untreated. They can lead to pregnancy complications and infertility, and they can increase the risk of some cancers.

The U.S. Syphilis epidemic slowed dramatically last year, gonorrhea cases fell and chlamydia cases remained below prepandemic levels.

In Georgia, the numbers show different trend lines.

While the national rate of primary and secondary syphilis decreased 11% between 2022 and 2023, the rate remained the same in Georgia — 20 per 100,000 people. Primary syphilis refers to the early stage of infection with the bacteria that causes syphilis, while secondary syphilis applies to a later stage of the infection.

The rate of congenital syphilis — an infection passed to infants from their mothers — increased 26% in Georgia, from 80 to 100 cases in every 100,000 live births. Despite the increase, Georgia's rate is lower than the national rate.

ExploreFebruary 2024: Return of an old foe: Syphilis cases spike nationwide and in Georgia

Georgia has the nation's fifth-highest rate of chlamydia infections at 646 cases per 100,000. That rate is 30% higher than the national average rate of 492 cases per 100,000.

According to the CDC's data, the rate of chlamydia infections in Georgia decreased for the first time since 2020 but still is above the national average. This is the second straight year of decline for the U.S. Rate.

"I see a glimmer of hope amid millions of STIs," Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention, said in a press release accompanying the federal data being released. "After nearly two decades of STI increases, the tide is turning. We must make the most of this moment — let's further this momentum with creative innovation and further investment in STI prevention."

Last year in the U.S., cases of the most infectious stages of syphilis fell 10% from the year before — the first substantial decline in more than two decades. Gonorrhea cases nationwide also dropped 7%, marking a second straight year of decline and bringing the number below what it was in 2019.

But in Georgia, the rate of gonorrhea infections ballooned from 219 cases per 100,000 in 2020 to nearly 300 cases per 100,000 in 2021. Despite two years of modest improvement, the gonorrhea infection rate in Georgia last year remained high at 274.8 per 100,000.

Georgia, as well as the nation, has a long way to go to stop the STI epidemic.

"The South, and namely the Deep South, is still a hotbed for all of these sexually transmitted infections," said Dr. Jonathan Colasanti, medical director at the Ponce de Leon Clinic, which is run by Grady Health System and provides HIV prevention as well as comprehensive care for people with HIV. "If we look at any of them, it's this region that leads the way. I think that should really make us examine how we do things."

Colasanti pointed to a lack of access to care as a major barrier to testing and treatment for these infections. He said more funding is needed for the prevention, testing and treatment of STDs. He also pointed to the importance of education so young people know tools are available to help prevent and treat infections.

"When half of all cases of STIs last year were in 15- to 24-year-olds, are we talking to our kids about how to prevent these? Are we talking to them about more than abstinence and condoms?"

Syphilis is a particular concern. It can cause serious health effects if not treated, including damage to the heart and brain, and it can be fatal.

In pregnant women, untreated syphilis results in infant death in up to 40% of cases. But with one penicillin shot given at least 30 days before delivery, a pregnant woman with syphilis and her baby can be cured of the infection.

It's a message that Atlanta-area health facilities are trying to disseminate widely online, on billboards and by word-of-mouth.

ExploreRise in sexually transmitted infection rates has deadly impact on babies born with it

Cases of syphilis in newborns also rose. The CDC noted nearly 4,000 babies in the United States, including 127 in Georgia, were born with syphilis in 2023.

Credit: AHF

Credit: AHF

Colasanti said the ripple effects from the pandemic can make it challenging to gauge whether STDs truly fell during the pandemic or if that was more a factor of fewer resources into STD screenings during the pandemic and some people holding off on seeking regular medical checks and testing.

But he sees some encouraging signs of a cooling down. In Georgia, like the U.S., STD rates were quickly rising before the pandemic, but since then the rate of spread has slowed.

"It can be easy to get lost in the numbers, and especially with nuances, because we are talking about three diseases with slightly different trajectories," Colasanti said. "But I think in of broad strokes, clearly we are seeing some bending of the curve."

Several experts, including Colasanti, say one contributor to the improvement in rates is the growing use of an antibiotic as a "morning-after pill" to prevent a new infection. Studies have shown that taking doxycycline within 72 hours of unprotected sex cuts the risk of developing syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia.

ExploreCDC director visits Grady clinic to tout new after-sex STI prevention

Another factor may have been an increase in the number of health workers testing people for infections, doing contact tracing and connecting people to treatment. Congress gave $1.2 billion to expand the workforce over five years, including $600 million to states, cities and territories that get STD prevention funding from the CDC.

There are reasons to think the next presidential administration could get behind STD prevention. In 2019, then-President Donald Trump announced a campaign to "eliminate" the U.S. HIV epidemic by 2030. Federal health officials later clarified that the actual goal was a huge reduction in new infections — fewer than 3,000 a year.

There were nearly 32,000 new HIV infections nationwide and 2,500 in Georgia in 2022, the CDC estimates. But a boost in public health funding for HIV could also help bring down other sexually transmitted infections, experts said.

The Associated Press contributed to this article

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