Will Private Medical Testing Still Be an Option?
By Sexual Health Blog Contributor | April 21, 2010
Now that Obamacare has become law,privacy advocacy groups are naturally concerned about what this means for patients confidential medical information. One of the key components of the new legislation is the sharing of valuable medical information through new technologies in order to create a comprehensive database of medical records. The goals of such a system are admirable: better care by hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, and pharmacies by being able to have an instant picture of a person’s medical history. No one can deny that such a system would be a caregiver’s ideal world…if implemented correctly and efficiently.
Unfortunately, very few large scale initiatives by our government have ever been implemented in that fashion, and the scale of this one is unlike anything we have ever seen before. But even though many of the components of the new health care system are years from being implemented, people are already taking notice and starting to be concerned about who can see their private medical information.
One industry that has already been offering confidential medical testing for the past twenty plus years is the online STD Testing industry. Started during the rise of HIV and Aids awareness, these companies, staffed with fully trained counselors and medical personnel, began offering confidential and immediate STD testing to the one hundred million sexually active adults in the United States. Prior to this, the only option an individual had was to go see his or her doctor, or to travel to one of the crowded, understaffed free health clinics. In each of those scenarios, a detailed record was kept of what activity caused your concern, what type of testing you had done, and what the results were of those tests. As insurance providers started assembling more data on pre-existing conditions in order to rate potential customers, more and more people were concerned that these “black marks” on their health record would somehow cause their already sky rocketing insurance rates to go up even more, or possibly even exempt them for coverage due to what might be considered”risky behavior”.
Now, individuals can alternatively contact one of the many private testing companies, schedule the test at their convenience, and get their results in as little as one day. And all of this is done in private, without anything showing up on your permanent health record. Many industry experts see this trend expanding as more parts of the health care law go into effect, and they are not only talking about STD testing. General wellness testing and DNA testing can now be obtained and can give valuable insight into a person’s overall health and into any possible issues they might be prone to in their life. And only you know the tests you chose to take, and the results of each.
Topics: STD Testing | 2 Comments »
Should you be Concerned about Your Private Medical Information?
By Sexual Health Blog Contributor | April 9, 2010
With the passage of Healthcare reform,privacy advocacy groups are naturally concerned about what this means for patients confidential medical information. One of the tenants of the new legislation is the sharing of valuable medical information through new technologies in order to create a comprehensive database of medical records. The goals of such a system are noteworthy: better care by hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, and pharmacies by being able to have an instant picture of a person’s medical history. No one can deny that such a system would be a caregiver’s utopia…if implemented correctly and efficiently.
Unfortunately, a small number of the large scale initiatives by our government have ever been implemented in that manner, and the scale of this one is unlike anything we have ever seen before. But even though many of the components of the new health care system are years from being implemented, people are already noticing and starting to be concerned about who can see their private medical information.
One industry that has already been offering private medical testing for the past twenty plus years is the online STD Testing industry. Started during the rise of HIV and Aids awareness, these companies, staffed with fully trained counselors and medical personnel, began offering confidential and immediate STD testing to the one hundred million sexually active adults in the United States. Prior to this, the only option an individual had was to go see his or her doctor, or to visit one of the crowded, understaffed free health clinics. In each of those scenarios, a detailed record was kept of what activity caused your concern, what type of testing you had done, and what the results were of those tests. As insurance providers started gathering more data on pre-existing conditions in order to rate potential customers, more and more people were concerned that these “black marks” on their health record would somehow cause their already sky rocketing insurance rates to go up even more, or possibly even exempt them for coverage due to what might be considered”risky behavior”.
Now, individuals can as an alternative contact one of the many private testing companies, schedule the test at their convenience, and get their results in as little as one day. And all of this is done in private, without anything showing up on your permanent health record. Many industry experts see this trend expanding as more parts of the health care law go into effect, and they are not only talking about STD testing. General wellness testing and DNA testing can now be obtained and can give valuable insight into a person’s overall health and into any possible issues they might be prone to in their life. And only you know the tests you chose to take, and the results of each.
Topics: STD Testing | No Comments »
How will new Healthcare Regulation affect STD Testing?
By Andrew M. Gibson | April 2, 2010
With the passage of Healthcare reform, privacy advocacy groups are naturally concerned about the effects upon patients confidential medical information. One of the tenants of the new law is the sharing of valuable medical information through new technologies in order to create a comprehensive database of medical records. The goals of such a system are admirable: better care by hospitals, physicians , insurance companies, and pharmacies by being able to have an instant picture of a person’s medical history. No one can deny that such a system would be a caregiver’s utopia …if implemented correctly and efficiently.
Unfortunately, a small number of the large scale initiatives by our government have ever been implemented in that fashion , and the scale of this one is unlike anything we have ever seen before. But even though many of the components of the new health care system are years from being implemented, people are already taking notice and starting to be concerned about who can see their private medical information.
One industry that has already been offering private medical testing for the past twenty plus years is the online STD Testing industry. Started during the rise of HIV and Aids awareness, these companies, staffed with fully trained counselors and medical personnel, began offering confidential and immediate STD testing to the one hundred million sexually active adults in the United States. Prior to this, the only option an individual had was to go see his or her doctor, or to visit one of the crowded, understaffed free health clinics. In each of those scenarios, a detailed record was kept of what activity caused your concern, what type of testing you had done, and what the results were of those tests. As insurance providers started gathering more data on pre-existing conditions in order to rate potential customers, more and more people were concerned that these “black marks” on their health record would somehow cause their already sky rocketing insurance rates to go up even more, or possibly even exempt them for coverage due to what might be considered “risky behavior”.
Now, individuals can as an alternative contact one of the many private testing companies, schedule the test at their convenience, and get their results in as little as one day. And all of this is done privately , without anything showing up on your permanent health record. Many industry experts see this trend expanding as more parts of the health care law go into effect, and they are not only talking about STD testing. General wellness testing and DNA testing are now being offered and can give valuable insight into a person’s overall health and into any possible issues they might be prone to in their life. And only you know the tests you chose to take, and the results of each.
Topics: STD Testing | No Comments »
You May Not Know You Have Chlamydia until It’s too Late
By Andrew M. Gibson | April 2, 2010
The CDC figures claim Chlamydia is on the rise in the US. With over a million cases reported each year, the number of people actually infected with the disease is unknown. The disease is often completely asymptomatic. So, if you are having sex, do you and your partner both a favor. Help stop the rise of Chlamydia by undergoing simple STD testing.
What is asymptomatic?
Asymptomatic simply means you show no signs or symptoms of the infection. This is particularly true with Chlamydia. Many call Chlamydia the “silent” disease. Only about 25% of women with the disease show symptoms and about 50% of men.
This is what makes Chlamydia especially dangerous. Because there are no symptoms, you are unaware you have anything wrong with you. Unfortunately, this increases the chances of unknowingly passing the disease on. Chlamydia Testing can be performed to find out if you have the disease. And treatment can start right away if your result is positive.
What are symptoms of Chlamydia?
If you are showing symptoms, they might be:
Women
- nausea
- abnormal vaginal discharge
- lower abdominal pain
- burning sensation during urination
- pain with intercourse
- lower back pain
- fever
- -bleeding between periods
Men
- burning or itching around penis opening
- penile discharge
- testicular pain and swelling
- burning sensation during urination
What are adverse effects of Chlamydia?
Chlamydia, left untreated, can cause many serious adverse effects for both women and men.
For women, the untreated infection can spread to the reproductive organs and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). This occurs in 40% of women when their Chlamydial infection is left untreated. What does PID do?
PID causes permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, the uterus, and surrounding tissue. Women may experience pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility.
If a pregnant woman has Chlamydia, she can pass the disease to her baby during delivery. The baby can be born with conjunctivitis (pink eye), or sometimes pneumonia.
For men, complications are rare; but can occur. If the infection spreads to the tube that carries the sperm from the testis (the epididymis), a man can experience fever, pain, and sometimes sterility.
To help reduce the rapid rise of Chlamydia, the CDC recommends all sexually active women under 25 receive STD testing once a year for Chlamydia. A once a year test is also recommended for women 25 and over who have risk factors such as a new sex partner or many sex partners. If you are pregnant, you should have Chlamydia testing right away.
How is Chlamydia treated?
Chlamydia is curable. If you test positive, treatment is inexpensive, easy and safe. One dose of azithromycin or a weeklong dose of doxycycline (2 times a day) is the most commonly prescribed treatments.
To evade complications such as PID, the CDC recommends women be retested three to four months after initial treatment. Especially if she is unsure if her sex partner sought treatment.
Topics: Chlamydia testing, STD Testing | No Comments »
3 Reasons You Should Consider STD Testing
By Andrew M. Gibson | April 2, 2010
by Andrew M. Gibson
Why should you consider STD Testing? You can’t look at a person you are having sex with and be 100% certain they aren’t infected with an STD. If you think you are at risk if having a sexually transmitted disease, be smart. Testing will not only improve your sexual health, it will also put your mind at ease. Here are three reasons testing is a good idea.
Do you really ever know your partner?
Your sexual partner may be an absolute angel, but if your partner has been sexually active with anyone in his/her past, you may be at risk for contracting an STD. Or grimly, you could be unknowingly infected with an STD and expose your partner. Remember, when you have sex with a person, you are in essence having sex with anyone that person has ever been with as well. It is a mind-boggling thought. But true.
So what are you supposed to do? Well, first, make sure you use a condom each and every time you have sex. Regular condom use gives a good defense against becoming infected with a disease via sex. But STD testing is the only way to know without a doubt if you have an STD. Ask your partner to be tested too. Then the two of you can relax and be certain you have nothing to be concerned with. And if the test comes back positive, you will be able to seek treatment before the disease gets out of hand.
You don’t always show signs of having an STD.
This is unquestionably a scary thought. You may be infected with a disease like Herpes, or Chlamydia, and not even know it. Many of these infections show no signs or symptoms in some instances until it is way too late. So if you think you don’t have Chlamydia because you haven’t experienced any burning when you pee, think again. You may just be asymptomatic.
Just a little statistic for you. According to the American Social Health Association (ASHA, one out of five people in the US currently have genital herpes. So, mathematically, that’s 20% of the US population. Of that 20% who are already infected, about 9 out of every 10 have no idea. They might think they don’t have herpes because no blisters are present. But no blisters doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have the herpes virus. If you have had unprotected sex, you are still at risk.
If you are asymptomatic, a simple herpes test is the only method to know for sure if you are infected with the herpes simplex virus. Herpes remains a virus that cannot be cured. However it can be managed. Getting tested is a sensible move to prevent you from spreading the virus to others unknowingly.
Stop Worrying.
Is all this information stressing you out? Well, it’s not really the article so much as it is the not knowing. Maybe you do have an STD; or maybe you don’t. Sometimes looking up symptoms on the internet convinces you that you have the most horrible disease on earth. And that will stress you out even worse.
Your sexual health is important. STD testing is a quick, simple solution to all that unnecessary worrying. With one phone call, you will be on the road to having stress-free sex again.
Topics: Herpes Test, STD Testing | No Comments »