Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a group of infections that can be detected in body fluids and are transmitted mainly through sexual contact.

Regular testing for sexually transmitted diseases is important, as they often cause minimal, mild or no symptoms at all, and also for protecting your health and maintaining a healthy sex life. Regular testing aims to provide effective treatment early in the event of infection.

The most common STDs are hepatitis, HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

Hepatitis is an inflammatory disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis B and C viruses respectively. It is transmitted through unprotected sexual contact with an infected person, vertically from an infected pregnant woman to the foetus, through blood transfusion, or through the sharing of needles or personal items. The infection may be asymptomatic or have mild symptoms (loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and low-grade fever), and can progress to chronic liver disease, causing serious complications such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.

HIV is a disease that disrupts the immune system and weakens the body’s ability to fight infections and disease. The infection leads to unexpected infections or even tumours. It is transmitted mainly through sexual contact. There may be no symptoms at first, but carriers of the virus can still transmit it. Symptoms related to opportunistic infections, tumours or neurological conditions may appear.

Genital herpes is a disease that appears on the skin and mucous membranes in the form of blisters. There are two serological types of the herpes virus: HSV-1, which mainly affects the area around the mouth, and HSV-2, which mainly affects the genitals. The infection lasts

about 15 days, during which herpes can be transmitted to the sexual partner of the affected person. After the first outbreak, the virus remains in the body in a latent form, without the ability to be transmitted, and reappears when the immune system is weakened.

Chlamydia, Ureaplasma, Mycoplasma, Trichomonas, Candida albicans, Treponema (syphilis), Gardnerella vaginalis and Haemophilus ducreyi.

Our laboratory can test for 13 sexually transmitted diseases by the molecular method in a single, simple urine sample. Hepatitis and HIV are tested in a blood sample, either by a molecular test, for a faster and more reliable diagnosis, or by antibody testing.

With a simple urine sample we can test for 13 sexually transmitted diseases using the most reliable, highly sensitive molecular method: chlamydia, ureaplasma, mycoplasma, trichomonas, herpes 1 and 2, Candida albicans, Treponema (syphilis), Gardnerella vaginalis and Haemophilus ducreyi.