STD testing for women is a medical screening procedure to determine if a female is afflicted with a sexually transmitted disease. A female should subject herself to STD tests if she has been practicing unprotected sex with multiple partners regardless of whether symptoms appear or not and regardless of your age. It is important to be tested so that a female can start medication immediately when results are positive and for her to prevent spreading of the disease.
An example of STD testing for women is the chlamydia and gonorrhea tests. Screening for chlamydia and gonorrhea is done either through a urine test or through the use of a swab applied from the cervix of a woman or a sexually active girl. The urine sample and sample obtained using a swab are examined in a laboratory.
Women who are at a high risk of HIV infection are advised to be tested for HIV at least yearly. Those who have tested positive for chlamydia and gonorrhea should request for testing not only for HIV but also for syphilis and hepatitis. Those using intravenous drugs should also subject herself to HIV testing which is also an example of STD testing for women. A blood sample is taken from a subject when testing for HIV and hepatitis. Syphilis can be detected through laboratory exams of a blood sample from the subject or of a swab from the genital sores of the patient.
A genital herpes test for women is not that conclusive. The best thing your doctor may do to detect herpes is to take a tissue scraping or culture of blisters or early ulcers. The samples are examined in a laboratory. However, a negative test does not totally rule out existence of herpes. A blood test may help detection of herpes infection and may help classification of herpes virus but the results may not be totally accurate based on the test sensitivity and the stage of the herpes infection.
HPV can cause cervical cancer that is why women should also be tested for this virus. An HPV test is considered an STD testing for women since the virus can be obtained by sexually active persons. HPV testing may be in the form of pap test to which existence of abnormal cells in the cervix is determined. Vaccines are available if the female tests positive for HPV.