How to Know If You Have an STD

Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tallied 2.4 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Most likely, however, more than 2.4 million Americans dealt with STDs in 2023 — because many of these infections come with mild symptoms, or even no symptoms at all.

So, how do you figure out if you have an STD? Fortunately, the answer is relatively simple: Get tested. And doing that can be fairly easy, too, because we offer convenient walk-in STD testing at our SmartClinic Urgent Care locations in Santa Clarita and West Covina, California. 

Prevalence of some common STDs

While some STDs present different symptoms and complications — such as vaginal or penile discharge, genital itching, or blisters — many of these diseases don’t present symptoms, or they’re so mild that you may easily overlook them or dismiss them as something else. If you’re sexually active and you suspect an infection, the only way to know for sure is to get tested. 

To get a clearer idea of the issue at hand, it helps to look at some individual STDs and their symptoms. The CDC reports that the most common ones in the U.S. are chlamydia (more than 1.6 million cases in 2023), gonorrhea (more than 600,000 cases), and syphilis (more than 209,000 cases).

Because chlamydia is the clear front-runner, let’s start there. It’s been called the silent infection because the majority of people who have it never notice symptoms. 

Gonorrhea is no different. It’s usually asymptomatic, particularly in women. 

Syphilis does present symptoms, but they start small and can be easy to ignore. 

In short, it’s nearly impossible to self-diagnose many of the most common STDs. In many cases, STD testing is the only way to confirm an infection.

That begs the question: When should you get an STD test?

When it’s time to get tested

People who are sexually active should get STD testing on an annual basis. To ensure you know your STD status, you can get tested after each new sexual partner, too. This way, if a new partner transmits an infection to you, you’ll be aware of it — and you can seek treatment to avoid spreading it to future partners. 

Getting an STD test doesn’t have to be a hassle. We offer walk-in testing at both of our clinics. And if we do find an STD, we work with you to develop a treatment plan. We can help you get the antibiotics you need to clear it up, for example. 

To get your STD test, walk into either of our SmartClinic Urgent Care clinics. You can also call the clinic nearest you to schedule an appointment.