8 Test Panel

Tell me about chlamydia testing.
Our doctors have selected the NAAT test, which stands for “nucleic acid amplification test,” to test for chlamydia. It’s the most accurate Chlamydia Test on the market today. This FDA-approved test looks for the chlamydia trachomatis bacteria in urine. Unlike culture tests, there’s no need to get undressed or swabbed.

Is this a Blood Test or a Urine Test?
The Chlamydia Test is a urine test. When you get to the lab, you’ll simply urinate into a cup. Again, there’s no need to get undressed or have any uncomfortable swabbing.

Will I Need to Fast or Prepare for the Test?
For accurate results, please do not urinate for at least an hour before you go to the testing center. You won’t need to fast.

Who Should Be Tested for Chlamydia?
Chlamydia affects both men and women. With more than 2.8 million new infections a year, chlamydia spreads easily. Plus, it’s common to have chlamydia without having any symptoms. The only way to know is to get tested. The CDC recommends chlamydia testing for all sexually active women ages 25 and under and for women who have a new sex partner or multiple partners. Consider chlamydia testing as part of routine STD screening, especially if you have had unprotected sex with someone whose STD status you do not know or are concerned about.

What Will the Results Tell Me?
Chlamydia Test results are either positive or negative. Positive means the test found chlamydia. Negative means the test did not find any signs of chlamydia. It’s possible to get tested too early after being exposed to chlamydia. Wait to get tested for at least 7-10 days after a possible exposure for the most accurate test result.

Is Chlamydia Curable?
Yes, chlamydia can be cured with antibiotics. Our doctors will decide which treatment option is best for you and, if appropriate, will electronically send a prescription to your local pharmacy.

Learn more about the Chlamydia Test

Tell me about gonorrhea testing.
Our doctors recommend the NAAT test, which stands for “nucleic acid amplification test,” to test for gonorrhea. It’s the most accurate Gonorrhea Test on the market today. This FDA-approved test looks for the Neisseria gonorrhoeae bacteria in urine. Unlike culture tests, there’s no need to get undressed or swabbed.

Is this a Blood Test or a Urine Test?
The Gonorrhea Test is a urine test. When you get to the lab, you’ll simply urinate into a cup. There’s no need to get undressed or have any uncomfortable swabbing.

Will I Need to Fast or Prepare for the Test?
For accurate results, please do not urinate for at least an hour before you go to the testing center. You won’t need to fast.

When Is the Right Time to Get a Gonorrhea Test?
The right time to get tested for gonorrhea is at least 7-10 days after a possible exposure. That means, if you think you may have gotten gonorrhea from a partner, wait a week and a half before getting tested. If you have been treated for gonorrhea, you should re-test again in 3 months to rule out re-infection. Due to new research, some experts now recommend testing to confirm cure 3 weeks after treatment. This recommendation applies to men who have sex with men, who are more likely to contract a resistant strain of gonorrhea. (A resistant strain is one that is more difficult to cure with the usual antibiotics.)

If you haven’t been tested for other STDs like HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis, chlamydia or herpes in the last 12 months, our doctors recommend a complete screening. We offer a full 8-test panel that screens for 8 of the most common STDs.

What Will the Results Tell Me?
Gonorrhea Test results are either positive or negative. Positive means the test found gonorrhea. Negative means the test did not find any signs of gonorrhea. It’s possible to get tested too early after being exposed to gonorrhea. Wait to get tested for at least 7-10 days after a possible exposure for the most accurate test result.

Is Gonorrhea Curable?
Yes, gonorrhea can be cured with antibiotics. Our physicians will decide which treatment option is best for you and, if appropriate, will electronically send a prescription to your local pharmacy.

Who Should Be Tested for Gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea affects both men and women. With more than 700,000 new infections a year, gonorrhea spreads easily. Plus, it’s common to have gonorrhea without having any symptoms. The only way to know is to get tested. Consider gonorrhea testing as part of routine STD screening, especially if you have had unprotected sex with someone whose STD status you do not know or are concerned about.

Learn more about the Gonorrhea Test

Tell me about hepatitis B testing.
Our doctors have selected the Hepatitis B Surface Antigen (HBsAg) Test to detect the hepatitis B virus in blood. This FDA-approved test looks for protein on the surface of the virus in a blood sample. It’s used to detect both acute (new) and chronic (old) hepatitis B infections.

Is this a Blood Test or a Urine Test?
The hepatitis B test is a blood test. When you get to the lab, the lab technician will draw one small tube of blood. There’s no need to get undressed or have any uncomfortable swabbing.

Will I Need to Fast or Prepare for the Test?
There is no preparation needed for the Hepatitis B Blood Test. You do not need to fast.

What Will the Results Tell Me?
Hepatitis B Test results are either positive or negative. Positive means that the test found hepatitis B. Negative means you did not show any signs of hepatitis B.

Although it is uncommon, sometimes a person has a positive test for hepatitis B, but has negative confirmatory testing. If the confirmation test is negative, then you do not have hepatitis B.

Is Hepatitis B Curable?
Hepatitis B is treatable and, in most cases, curable. Caught early, acute (new) hepatitis B is treated with bed rest and fluids and can eventually go away. In fact, 94 - 98% of people get better on their own, if they acquire hepatitis B as an adult, and don’t become chronic carriers. A small number of people, about 1%, go on to develop chronic hepatitis B, which can lead to serious liver disease. While it is not always curable, there are treatment options that can help stop the virus from getting worse. Should you test positive, you will speak with one of our doctors who will help you get treatment with a local specialist.

Who Should Be Tested for Hepatitis B?
If you or your parents were born in Southeast Asia (China, Vietnam etc.), the Pacific Islands, Africa, the Amazon Basin or the Middle East, you may be more likely to contract hepatitis B if exposed to it. Vaccination has not always been readily available in these areas and this virus can be spread from a mother to child at birth.

Hepatitis B testing is recommended for people who have a high risk of coming in contact with the virus, which also includes anyone who has used injection drugs or had unprotected sex with an infected partner. If you live with someone who is infected with hepatitis B or if you have had a sexual encounter with someone who has hepatitis B, you should be tested. Consider hepatitis B testing as part of routine STD screening, especially if you have had unprotected sex with someone whose STD status you do not know or are concerned about.

Learn more about the Hepatitis B Test

Tell me about hepatitis C testing.
Our doctors have selected the Hepatitis C Antibody Test (Anti-HVC) to detect the hepatitis C virus in blood. If you have been exposed to the virus, your body will make antibodies to fight it and this test identifies those antibodies. This FDA-approved test is used to screen for hepatitis C.

Is this a Blood Test or a Urine Test?
The Hepatitis C Test is a blood test. When you get to the lab, the lab technician will draw one small tube of blood. There’s no need to get undressed or have any uncomfortable swabbing.

Will I Need to Fast or Prepare for the Test?
There is no preparation needed for the Hepatitis C Blood Test. You do not need to fast.

What Will the Test Results Tell Me?
Hepatitis C Test results are either positive or negative. Positive means the test found hepatitis C. Negative means you did not show any signs of hepatitis C.

In the U.S., 10% of positives turn out to be “false positives,” meaning you don’t have hepatitis C, but antibodies to hepatitis C were detected on the test. Your body may have fought off a hepatitis C infection in the past and you were cured without any treatment. Up to 30% of the time, the body cures itself of hepatitis C. If you do test positive, our experts recommend additional testing to determine whether this is truly an active infection.

Is hepatitis C Curable?
Yes, hepatitis C is curable and as many as 30% of people with hepatitis C will “cure” their own infection without any specific treatment. Depending on the severity of symptoms, no treatment is necessary and most people don’t ever recognize that they are sick with hepatitis C, since the symptoms are mild or seem more like the flu.

Acute (new) hepatitis C is best managed through supportive care... a healthy diet, fluids and plenty of rest. Also, a liver specialist called a hepatologist should monitor you.

If left untreated, chronic or long term hepatitis C can lead to liver failure. At that stage it is not curable but there are treatment options that can help stop the virus from getting worse. Finding out you have hepatitis C before it gets to an advanced stage increases your chance of completely suppressing the virus with medication.

Who Should Be Tested for hepatitis C?
It’s recommended that those born between the years 1945 - 1965 and those receiving blood transfusions before 1992 should test for hepatitis C. If you live with someone who is infected with hepatitis C or if you have had a sexual encounter with someone who has hepatitis C, you should be tested. Consider hepatitis C testing as part of routine STD screening, especially if you have had unprotected sex with someone whose STD status you do not know or are concerned about.

Learn more about the Hepatitis C Test

Tell me about HIV testing.
Our doctors have selected the HIV Antibody Test with Reflex to Western Blot Confirmation (also known as the EIA or ELISA test). This FDA-approved blood test looks for the antibodies to HIV and is the “gold standard” for HIV screening. If you get tested before there are enough antibodies to detect, you may get a “false negative” result even if you have new HIV infection. If you are concerned about a recent sexual encounter, the HIV Early Detection Test can detect HIV sooner than the HIV Antibody Test.

Is this a Blood Test or a Urine Test?
The HIV Antibody Test is a blood test. When you get to the lab, the lab technician will draw one small tube of blood. There’s no need to get undressed or have any uncomfortable swabbing.

Will I Need to Fast or Prepare for the Test?
There is no preparation needed for the HIV Antibody Blood Test. You do not need to fast.

Is HIV Treatable?
Although there is no cure for HIV, a lot has changed in the world of HIV treatment. These days we have powerful anti-retroviral medications to manage HIV infections that are so successful that often people with HIV are dealing with health issues related to aging more than complications from HIV. We talk about living with HIV, not dying from it, and we like to remind those with new HIV infections that they should not stop saving for retirement.

Who Should Be Tested for HIV?
Anyone can get the HIV virus by having sex with an infected person, sharing needles with an infected person, or even from childbirth. HIV is not transmitted by touching or by toilet seats. You cannot get if from sharing towels or shaking hands. HIV is found in people of all sexual orientations and ages. In fact, the highest numbers of newly acquired case of HIV have been found in middle-aged adults ages 35 to 44.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that everyone age 13 - 64 be tested for HIV. Consider HIV testing as part of routine STD screening, especially if you have had unprotected sex with someone whose STD status you do not know or are concerned about.

What Will the Test Results Tell Me?
HIV Antibody Test results are either positive or negative. Negative means no signs of HIV were found. A positive HIV Antibody Test result means that signs of HIV were found, but a confirmation test should be run before making a diagnosis.

If your test result comes back positive the laboratory automatically runs a western blot test for confirmation. Experts agree that another test should be run on a new blood sample before making a formal diagnosis of HIV and we believe all physicians should follow this recommendation.

Positive test results for HIV show an infection with the virus that causes AIDS. It does NOT mean that you have AIDS. If your test is positive, one of our physicians will talk with you about your results and arrange for you to see a local HIV specialist who can guide you regarding additional testing, treatment and next steps, if appropriate.

Learn more about the HIV Test

Tell me about syphilis testing.
Our doctors have selected the Rapid Plasma Reagin (RPR) test to test for syphilis. This gold standard blood test looks for antibodies to the syphilis virus. If the RPR is positive, another test, called a treponemal pallidum test, will be automatically run to confirm the result. Syphilis testing is important because a person can have syphilis without knowing it and can pass it along to a partner easily.

Is this a Blood Test or a Urine Test?
The Syphilis Test is a blood test. When you get to the lab, the lab technician will draw one small tube of blood. There’s no need to get undressed or have any uncomfortable swabbing.

Will I Need to Fast or Prepare for the Test?
There is no preparation needed for the Syphilis Blood Test. You do not need to fast.

Who Should be Tested for Syphilis?
Syphilis affects both men and women. Syphilis spreads easily and it's common to have syphilis without having any symptoms. The only way to know is to get tested. Consider syphilis testing as part of routine STD screening, especially if you have had unprotected sex with someone whose STD status you do not know or are concerned about.

What Will the Test Results Tell Me?
A negative Syphilis Test result means that there's no detectable disease in the blood at the time of the test. A positive test result may mean that you have syphilis... but if the Syphilis Test result is positive, the next step is to confirm the diagnosis with another test that can differentiate between syphilis and other conditions.

Be aware that the RPR may remain positive at a low level after treatment, and can be positive even in healthy folks, which is why we always follow it up with a confirmatory test.

Is Syphilis Curable?
Yes, syphilis is a curable infection, especially when caught early. Syphilis is treated with antibiotics, which may be given by injection or sometimes through an IV. If your test is positive, our physicians will connect you with a local specialist for additional testing and treatment as well as follow up monitoring to confirm that you are cured, if appropriate.

Learn more about the Syphilis Test