Whether you’re in a relationship or not, STD testing is an important process that all sexually active people must go through at some point or another. Technology today has allowed STD testing to become extremely accurate and effective. However, science cannot always account for one factor that could easily throw off your STD test results — the window period. Tracey Powell is the founder and CEO of getSTDtested.com, a company that facilitates confidential STD testing at home and in laboratories throughout the country. And although he has confidence in the accuracy of such testing, he does like to warn that results can be skewed if tests are administered during a STD window period.
A STD window period is the time between the date of infection, and when a STD test can be expected to accurately detect and identify the presence of a STD. During a STD window period, it is possible for you to transmit a disease to one of your sexual partners if a disease is indeed present. Remember, a window period doesn’t mean that you don’t yet have the disease. It simply means that during that particular time-frame, the disease is not going to show up on any tests. Therefore, if you get tested during a window period and are told that your results are negative, then you can still transmit a disease to somebody else if it turns out that you are, in fact, infected.
How do you know when your STD window period starts and ends?
Unfortunately, this is not always so easy to determine. Since each type of STD comes with its own specific window period, there is no hard and fast rule as to when you should get tested. Generally speaking, most STD window periods are capped at six months, so if you take an STD test right after the six-month mark from when you last engaged in any form of sexual activity, then barring any extraordinary circumstances, you’re in the clear if your tests are negative. However, if you take an STD test two months after your last sexual encounter, then the results might not be as reliable. For this reason, many people in these situations might choose to wait and then retest themselves at a later point in time. You should continue using adequate protection with your partners until STD testing results can be deemed more reliable.
So does this mean that no matter what, you should just wait six months to get tested for every STD out there? Actually, no. You should definitely get tested for STDs as soon as you start experiencing any type of symptom. Additionally, keep in mind that not every STD comes with a six-month window period, some infections have shorter window periods and can be detected after only a couple of weeks. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt to get tested sooner rather than later, because if your results are positive, then you’ll be able to start treatment immediately. For some STDs, early treatment is vital in preventing damaging effects. So, while you shouldn’t wait to get STD tested, you need to be aware of your window period in case your tests come back negative.
Because STD window periods do exist, it’s important to review and keep track of the dates of your previous sexual encounters. Also, remember that just as you’re subject to a window period, so too is your partner. Therefore, the fact that you and your partner decided to get tested at one point in time might not protect you from transmitting diseases to one another. The best way to ensure that both you and your partner remain STD-free over the course of your relationship is to use protection until you’re both certain that your respective window periods have passed. At that point you’ll want to get tested, or retested, to ensure that no diseases are detected.
The team at getSTDtested.com knows that the idea of the window period certainly makes the STD testing process a bit more complicated and confusing. But now that you know about it, you can take the proper steps to account for it and receive the most accurate test results. While follow-up STD testing might require you to slow down your lifestyle, it will give you peace of mind in the end.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
