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STD Diagnosis and TreatmentSexually active people face the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), which are viruses and bacterial infections that are spread during sexual contact (seminal/vaginal fluids, blood, skin-to-skin contact). Bacterial STDs are treated with an antibiotic and cured; viral STDs may be suppressed with medication and have symptoms treated, but they cannot be cured. Health Quarters provides diagnosis and treatment in our health centers and offers an STD Clinic in our Haverhill location. The most common STDs are: Chlamydia – Difficult to detect sometimes; 75% of infected women and 25% of infected men have no symptoms at all.Gonorrhea - One of the most frequently reported STDs. Untreated, women can contract pelvic inflammatory disease, which may lead to sterility. Hepatitis B - A vaccine exists, but there's no cure; can cause cancer of the liver. Herpes - Painful and episodic; can be treated but there's no cure. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) & Genital Warts - The most common STD, 85% of all sexually women and men have this virus. Syphilis – Fairly uncommon now; usually found in men only. Trichomoniasis - Can cause foamy vaginal discharge or no symptoms at all. Health Quarters tests both men and women for chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, trichomoniasis, syphilis, hepatitis A, B, and C, bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections. An HPV test is performed for women when a pap test indicates we should. Testing can be done as part of a GYN exam or as a separate appointment. Testing may be done through a blood sample, urine sample, vaginal discharge, or by collecting a sample of cells from the cervix or the urethra in men. You will be contacted by a staff person only if results are abnormal, usually in about two weeks. Health Quarters patients with an STD can get a one-dose antibiotic treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhea, and another antibiotic for syphilis. We also prescribe treatments to suppress herpes outbreaks and genital warts (a type of HPV). STD ClinicDuring your visit to the clinic at HQ’s Haverhill health center, a blood sample is taken to test for syphilis, and you meet with a clinician to review your health history and determine what other testing might be needed. You will learn ways to protect against STD transmission, and will be offered an HIV test. If you test positive for an STD, clinic staff can connect you with a Disease Intervention Specialist, who can contact your partner(s) for you. You will receive medications and/or treatments at the end of your appointment. We do not provide HIV treatment at the STD clinic, so you will be referred to an appropriate service provider. You will be asked whether you are able to pay for your services, but will not denied services or treatments if you cannot.
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