A service provided by the BC Centre for Disease Control
In the years since SmartSexResource launched, we have developed a library of questions asked by you, and answered by our expert sexual health nurses.
Our answered questions library cover a broad range of sexual health topics and common questions we hear at our clinics.
It’s normal to want to be sure, but getting every possible test isn’t always helpful — and can sometimes cause confusion or worry. STI testing recommendations are based on research and guidelines that help decide which tests are needed and when.
Our bodies naturally have some bacteria and viruses that don’t cause harm, and don’t need treatment. That’s why we recommend tests based on your situation, to make sure you get the care that’s right for you.
In BC, the only HPV test available is used for cervix screening. This means you can’t ask your doctor, clinic, or lab for an HPV test, even if a sexual partner tells you they have HPV.
There are a few reasons for this. The HPV test used in cervix screening only checks for the types of HPV linked to cervical cancer. It does not test for the types that cause genital warts, other types of cancer, or the types that don’t cause any symptoms at all.
Instead of testing everyone for HPV, health care providers look for signs or complications from the infection and follow up if needed.
Mycoplasma genitalium is a common infection that often causes no symptoms and usually goes away on its own without treatment. In most cases testing or treatment isn’t needed unless you’re having symptoms.
Because of this, testing for Mycoplasma genitalium isn’t recommended for most people. STI testing recommendations are based on research and guidelines that help decide which tests are needed and when. Unnecessary testing and treatment can lead to using antibiotics when they’re not needed. This can make it harder to treat infections in the future.
If you do have symptoms like unusual discharge, pain when peeing, or pelvic discomfort, talk to a health care provider. They can help decide if testing is right for you.
Hi, and thank you for your question
If an individual has a fever and other symptoms associated with HIV seroconversion, they may experience some mild relief with paracetamol (acetaminophen) however, this will not cure the symptoms, nor will it cure the virus.
If you are concerned about an HIV infection, the best thing for you to do would be to visit a health care provider (family doctor, walk-in clinic, or a sexual health clinic) and get an HIV test. If you are living in British Columbia, have a look at our Clinic Finder to locate a clinic in your area.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, and thank you for your question
I’m not sure where you got tested and treated, however in British Columbia the recommended treatment for epididymitis is cefixime and doxycycline. Treatment with ciprofloxacin is supported by the Canadian guidelines.
If your symptoms are persisting, I would revisit your care provider. Further assessment may be required, including a referral to a specialist to rule out other causes of your symptoms, especially given that your chlamydia and gonorrhea tests were negative.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, and thanks for your question
You do not need to increase or change how frequently you get PAP screening done. The BC Cancer Agency sets these guidelines based on the current research and best practice. Their recommendation currently is for screening every 3 years after the age of 25. If they find anything unusual or atypical on a PAP test, they will make a recommendation for more frequent follow up at that time. So unless recommended otherwise, every 3 years is perfectly fine for you.
It’s also important to keep in mind that HPV is incredibly common and there are approximately 150 strains of the virus, most of which cause no harm and present no symptoms. The majority of sexually active adults will have at least one HPV infection during their lifetime and not even know about it. In fact, HPV is so common that we often refer to it as the “common cold of the genitals.” Our HPV Patient’s Guide has lots of great information on HPV if you’re interested.
The most important thing you can do for yourself is to get a PAP screen every three years. You may also want to consider the HPV Vaccine (Gardasil-9) if the cost is not too prohibitive.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns. Health Nurse
Hi, and thank you for your question
Mycoplasma genitalium is a bacterium that can be sexually transmitted and in some instances can cause urethral symptoms in men, but often is asymptomatic. Many individuals carry this bacteria around normally and suffer no symptoms or harm from it, so we typically don’t test for it routinely.
There are many things that can cause urethral symptoms in men, or individuals with a penis. Those things can include sexually transmitted bacteria including chlamyida, gonorrhea and herpes. Non-sti microbes, such as the virus that causes the common cold passed through oral sex, can also cause these symptoms and are also harmless. Other irritants can include soaps, detergents, dehydration, yeast and fungal infections, and increased alcohol intake or nicotine use.
If all things are ruled out and urethral symptoms are persistent and bothersome, then certainly you could ask your family doctor for testing for mycoplasma.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hi, and thank you for your question
The chance of getting HIV from oral sex is extremely low as indicated in our Know Your Chances charts and on our HIV and AIDS information page. If you are sexually active, we recommend getting tested routinely (every 6-12 months) for all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea. The best time to test for HIV is 6-12 weeks after an encounter as it can take up to this amount of time for antibodies to be detectable if a person has acquired the virus.
I would add that simply because someone does sex work, this does not mean that they have HIV. In fact you have indicated that this person told you that they do not have HIV and that they are “well-reviewed” on their profile. Whether you engage in sexual contact with someone who does sex work, or with someone you met online or at any other venue, it is important to consider precautions you may want to take against infections. As already noted, oral sex is generally pretty low risk for HIV but other infections such as HSV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea can be more easily passed this way. Regardless of the partner, condoms are a good way to prevent or to decrease the chance of passing these infections.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hello and thank you for your question.
That is great that you went directly to a clinic for treatment once you were named as a contact to a case of Chlamydia. It is true that if it was only 36 hours after the potential exposure it would have likely been too early for the Chlamydia to show up positive on an STI test as the test is checking for your body’s antibody response to the bacteria and that time interval wouldn’t have given the body enough time to build enough of an immune response to be detectable on the test. That said, treatment is appropriate at this time as the antibiotic it will still kill off the Chlamydia bacteria. Please hold off from having sex for 7 days after treatment as it takes that long for all of the bacteria to be killed.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse
Hello and thank you for your question.
For most STI tests there is not a preferred time of day to do the testing. That said, when submitting a urine sample you need to have not urinated for at least 2 hours prior to giving the sample for an STI screen.
Let us know if this does not answer your question or if you have any more questions or concerns.
Health Nurse