TW: std/stis this might be a dumb question but when you get tested for stds and stis, does the infection have to have an active flare up to show up on a test? ive been tested multiple times in the past year or so because i keep having issues down there and now im having yellow discharge so im concerned. i have my yearly appt again in 2 weeks but wanted to ask here.

I’d love an answer on this too. I’ve been experiencing the exact same thing.

yellow discharge is normal

What if it is accompanied by a smell which isn’t bad but isn’t your ‘usual’ smell. I hope I’m making sense?

@Jeslyn a foul smell is concerning. the rest can be due to things such as change in ph

@nikeyxo I see. Thank you so much!

@nikeyxo okay, i dont think the smell is foul. maybe kind of sour but isnt that normal too sometimes? its not a smell thats really bad and noticeable

your ph could be thrown off but you could ask your doctor to double check!

Id suggest getting a blood test for the whole panel of STDs. It’s good to know for sure!

@Lemongrass_ okay thank u! i have been with a 4 year long term partner and just started having issues the past 6 months, we have used condoms for the past like 3 years and only didnt use condoms a few times. so idk what to expect

Are you going to ask your partner to get tested as well?

@Pandafan1 yeah I want to ask him. ive mentioned it to him before but he never makes appointments for anything

Don’t let him brush it off. STDs are important to your mental and physical health. Give him an ultimatum if you need, this stuff shouldn’t be taken lightly!

Definitely express how important it is for him to get tested too. If he’s not bothered with making appointments, maybe you could do it together?

I agree with @Lemongrass_ I would seriously break things off if my partner wouldn’t get tested on their own accord. You shouldn’t have to baby him into getting tested. He’s an adult. It’s not just his sexual health, it’s yours too.

@Jeslyn yeah, i am going to tell him I can go with him. where can he make an appt? i get tested at my gyno, where can guys go?

@Yi_eune yeah, i agree. he has anxiety around doctors appointments but so do i and i still go! so i am going to have a serious conversation with him. before me, he had sex once with one person and didnt have any other sexual activity after but u never know. that was like 5-6 years ago with that person

@greenwitch you can get tested at my GP from my experience

Any GP*

@Yi_eune ok thank you. like i said before, ive been tested 2-3 times in the past year and just tested a few weeks ago and it all came back negative but is it still possible to have one? are there ones they dont test for on a vaginal swab test?

A blood panel can cover everything, I suggest both of you getting one

@greenwitch you should also get a blood test done to rule anything out.

After !!!6 MONTHS!!! You will be able to get most accurate results since some stds have a long incubation period and wont show up in initial tests

For most STIs no. It will still show up on tests even if you're asymptomatic. One major exception is HSV

@Aj326 what about having symptoms tho? the issues ive been hving is irritation and sometimes even slight UTI symptoms but tested for that and it wasnt that either

@greenwitch Get a blood panel test for everything including HSV.

ok thank u everyone!

It might not be an UTI it can also be a type of vaginal infection which is different from UTI vaginal infections are either bacterial vaginosis (cased by bacteria) or yeast infection (caused by yeast)

@Aj326 i tested negative for both of those too😩

@greenwitch Oky call up your GP and ask them to prescribe a blood test with all STDs !

😅 oh lord idk you might be allergic to something !? Or sth is setting off your ph balance honestly ye you prob just do all the tests you can and change up your hygiene routine maybe eat probiotics for healthy bacteria growth and cranberries are good too for utis also if he comes inside often you might get irritated bc the area is constantly wet

@Aj326 yeah i kept thinking maybe my laundry detergent or body soap was irritating me so i switched to all unscented! ill be okay for maybe a week then get irritated again lol. its so annoying! my bf and i always use condoms so that clears me being irritated by his cum

@greenwitch are they same brand of condoms maybe u irritated by some type of new brand or flavor?

@Aj326 we havent used any new condoms since😕 we switched after the fact this started. and we are long distance at the moment so weve gone like a month or so without sex and i still get irritated

@greenwitch uugh 😅 this sucks I really hope when you go for your next checkup they can figure out what’s causing it

With body soap do you mean just your body itself or do you also use products for your vulva/vagina? Because it could possibly be that if that’s the case

@Yi_eune just my body wash, i dont use soap down there unless its just the outside and if thats the case its a completely unscented bar soap to shave

@Aj326 thank you😩 its such a pain

Understandable ! It’s suggest to use only water down there, and that has helped me immensely with any irritation. I wish you luck! and regardless, it’s worth getting tested for everything !

@Lemongrass_ yeah I only use water unless im shaving so i dont get razor bumps and thank u!! definitely getting tested for everything to be sure.