STD Testing

Early detection of STDs increases your chances of preventing complications. To get your symptoms diagnosed with the utmost care and confidentiality, book an appointment with Pinnacle Healthcare Services in Alexandria, VA.

Some common STDs and their symptoms to watch out for include:

• Chlamydia

  Caused by bacteria and can affect men and women. For women, symptoms include pain while urinating, abnormal vaginal discharge, pain during sexual intercourse, nausea, fever, and lower abdominal pain. In men, symptoms include a painful or burning sensation while urinating, discharge from the penis, pain/swelling in the testicles, and itching around the penis tip.

• Gonorrhea

  Caused by a sexually transmitted bacterium that targets moist, warm areas of the body such as the throat, urethra, anus, fallopian tubes, vagina, and cervix. Gonorrhea symptoms may or may not occur, or they may occur after several weeks. Symptoms include pelvic pain, fever, bleeding between periods, and vaginal discharge in women. Men can experience urinary pain, swelling, or pain in one testicle and penile discharge.

• Herpes

  Caused by the herpes simplex virus (HSV) through sexual contact. There are two types of HSV - HSV-1, which typically spreads through oral contact, and HSV-2, which is contracted through sexual contact. Symptoms of HSV-1 include open sores or painful blisters in and around the mouth. Genital herpes contracted through HSV-2 can be asymptomatic but may consist of symptoms such as genital or anal sores or blisters. New genital herpes infections are generally characterized by fever, body pain, and swollen lymph nodes.

• HIV/ AIDS

  HIV targets the body’s immune system, damaging the white blood cells that fight infection. Early symptoms of HIV include fever, rashes, chills, swollen lymph nodes, sore throat, fatigue, mouth ulcers, muscle pain, and night sweats.

• Syphilis

  Targets the lips, mouth, genitals, or anus in men and women. The condition develops in stages, with varying symptoms for each stage. The first symptom is a small, painless sore appearing on the rectum, the sexual organs, or inside the mouth. Skin rashes and sore throat can characterize the second stage of syphilis.

• Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

  HPV is a viral infection contracted through skin-to-skin contact. There are over 200 varieties of HPV, with more than 40 of them that can spread through sexual contact with an infected person. Some of HPVs can lead to cancer. Symptoms include genital warts and other warts that can form on the hands, fingers, elbows, feet, heels, face, or neck.