Important STI Info!

Important notes about STI screening:

Backstory: Went to Planned Parenthood today for my routine testing. I had just switched insurance, and finally my insurance covered PP, and wanted to give them money. Before that, I had been routinely tested by my primary care physician. Every 3 months.

Today at PP, they told me Chlamydia and Gonorrhea are site-specific (ie, they will live in one area, but not another). They recommended an oral and anal swab for these two. Before this, I had only been tested with a urine sample, which would only catch these infections if they were vaginal for me.

This means, in theory, anyone who has only had a urine screening for these two STI's could have them asymptomatically in their throats or anuses without knowing. I am so annoyed that if you ask your doctor for an STI screen, it's not standard to include these swabs. Many humans have unprotected oral sex. We often use condoms for PIV and PIA, but less use these for oral sex.

TLDR: when you get STI screening, be sure to get an oral and anal swab, in addition to your blood and urine screenings.

Site-specific testing = swabs for Chlamydia/Gonorrhea available orally, and anally. These two STI’s are commonly only screened for with a urine test which would not pick up these infections in the throat or anus. Planned Parenthood offers these tests upon request.