Which sexually transmitted diseases should I be tested for?

These pathogens are common and rarely cause symptoms. If symptoms occur, treatment is necessary. That is obvious. But this happens so rarely that international professional associations advise against testing symptom-free people. This is because they would often have a positive result and would then treat it.

But unlike with chlamydia and gonorrhea, you often have to resort to an antibiotic that can cause serious and even life-threatening side effects – because the mycoplasmas are often already resistant to the well-tolerated antibiotic. You would be shooting sparrows with cannons and causing more harm than good. In the interests of our clients’ health, we therefore do not offer the test.

There are over 200 subtypes of human papillomaviruses. They are usually not noticeable and disappear by themselves after a few months. Some subtypes cause genital warts (which are then visible), others cause cervical cancer, anal cancer or penile cancer. This is why the HPV vaccination has been recommended for adolescents for several years. Screening for cervical cancer has been around for a long time.

This examination has been changed since 2020: For women up to the age of 35, there is still the annual PAP smear (examination for cell changes), for women aged 35 and over, an HPV smear of the cervix is offered. If the results are negative, women will then only have to be examined every three years. But why don’t younger people also get the HPV test? It is assumed that younger people have more sex and HPV would then be detected too frequently.

HPV cannot be prevented during sex. Condoms only have a relatively low protective effect. Because HPV is too frequently detectable in sexually active people (and does not usually lead to cancer or genital warts), sam health does not offer HPV smear tests. You would have a positive result too often. In addition, there is no guarantee that the self-swab at home is nearly as good as the swab in the practice (this is the case with chlamydia and gonorrhea). Women should have a check-up at the gynecologist’s office.

If you have many partners, you should consider getting vaccinated against HPV. Some health insurance companies also voluntarily cover the costs for adults. Otherwise, the three required vaccine doses cost around 160 euros each. It is then important to ensure that you receive the 9-fold vaccine. This is because the double vaccine does not protect against genital warts. The vaccination is well tolerated and provides around 95% protection against genital warts and the corresponding cancers

The first infection with one of the two types of herpes usually causes the well-known painful herpes blisters. Everyone knows them from the cold sores of their youth. The viruses then lie dormant in the nerve ganglia for life. Some people also become sexually infected with herpes. The mucous membranes of the genital organs are then affected. Both cold sores and genital herpes can flare up again later in some people. You will normally notice this and should seek medical treatment if you have severe symptoms.

Rarely can herpes be detected without such symptoms. But this is an incidental finding that does not need to be treated. We therefore do not offer the test, as it would only make the package unnecessarily expensive.

This article was written by:

Armin Schafberger – doctor and health scientist, as well as former medical officer of the German AIDS service organization.