why isn’t testing for all STD’s important before IUD... - BASHH

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why isn’t testing for all STD’s important before IUD insertion

L0vebug profile image
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I got the IUD insertion back in December 2021 I remember being tested for chlamydia etc etc. but I don’t recall them testing for all stds, why is it that it’s not important to test for all stds before insertion so you can be aware of possible issues ? My friend recently tested positive for herpes 1 and I’m getting tested tomorrow, I felt like I could fully state I didn’t have it cause I’ve gotten tested twice before sleeping with him but looking online it seems like they only do routine testing ? And herpes isn’t typically tested because it’s not as common ? Is that true ? If it is that sounds like complete bs how much harder is it to test for all ? maybe I'm just ranting but this has been eating at me since I found out , I guess the main question is, can they actually do the iud insertion without testing for ALL STDs, if so why?

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Galen70 profile image
Galen70

You are in the US so medical practice would be different here than the UK. Testing for gonhorroea and chlamydia is routinely offered for all coil insertions here. Blood borne virus testing can also be done if the person requests it.

You seem to misunderstand about herpes virus testing. It is very common - about 50% of people will have antibodies showing previous lifetime exposure , by the age of 50. However doing blood tests for people is not useful as only 10% of people will ever have symptoms. So usually testing is done directly from a swab , if the person has symptoms and skin changes.

In the UK therefore , blood testing for HSV is not routine and only done in very selective circumstances .

If you think about it , if a person who has never ever had any symptoms of the cold sore virus takes a blood test, and it comes back positive for HSV 1 , what would you advise them to do ?

Also the blood test cant tell where the herpes virus might be in the body - so oral cold sores would also cause a blood test change.

And you cant easily test for some STIs like molluscum and HPV - usually they are diagnosed by looking at them - so a blood test wont pick them up.

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