Keeping aware and informed about your sexual health and that of your partners is critical. Being cognisant of changes with your physical anatomy and in your sexual health helps keep you one step ahead of issues. It is not enough just to take notice, however. We must all take steps to get tested if we notice changes or change sexual partners. Identifying and treating STI's quickly is crucial to lessen the impact on our own health, as well as the further spread of infectious diseases.

Every sexual encounter you or a partner has without knowing their STI status is the potential for further spread of unknown pathogens. One in 25 women with gonorrhea see complications when treatment is delayed, while they are either unaware they have been exposed or they are waiting too long to be tested. Also , in some cases, it takes time to get results, while, if infected, the disease is left untreated. If they would have been tested sooner , known of their exposure status or had quicker results, these complications could be minimized.

A critical tool in the arsenal is combating the enemy of time in the fight against preventable diseases, namely chlamydia and gonorrhea. These two sexual infections are the most prevalent of STI's, and carry serious health consequences if left untreated. They are also incredibly preventable and treatable, especially if detected early.

Recently in New York a “Quickie Lab” in Chelsea implemented a GeneXpert system of testing, from the company Cepheid, that allowed those being tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea to have their results within 90 minutes. This same day information means minimal to no down time between suspecting you are infected and getting treatment. Treatment can be started before the patient even leaves the testing clinic. This has lead to a dramatic change in the “lag time” of knowing your status, and helping to stop the unknowing spread of these infections. This is especially important for those patients who may be unable or unwilling to return for treatment after initially testing. The New York City health department hopes to have the technology available to it's seven other sexual health clinics in the city soon.

Please note many people are asymptomatic and may not even know they are carriers, and so testing with each new partner is recommended, even without noticeable symptoms.

Rates of gonorrhea have been historically falling since the last major US flare-up. The two largest spikes in gonorrhea infections were after World War II, the aptly named “Baby Boom”, and during the sexual revolution in the 1960's and1970's. Rates dropped as improvements in antibiotics and more common condom and other barrier method use had increased. This was mainly due to the fear of HIV and has played a role in keeping the infections at bay. In modern times, as PReP, a medication which lessens the risk of HIV, becomes more widely used, condom use is down, leading to a slight resurgence of other STI's. Gonorrhea, and chlamydia are, unfortunately, making a small comeback due to this. Condoms and other barrier methods are important to stop the spread of diseases, as is the incredibly early detection and treatment offered by new testing methods.

Strides in testing, treatment, and prevention of sexually transmitted infections are improving every year. Take control of your sexual health by keeping informed and keeping tabs on your health and wellness.

Chepheid

World Health Organization