Studies have shown that STD cases continue to rise globally. For instance, reported syphilis cases in England have risen to 76% in the last three years. The cases were 3,001 in 2012 while in 2015 they stood at 5,288 in 2015. Gonorrhea cases also rose by 53% to 41,193 in 2015.

This rise could be attributed to the fact that only 32% of young women and 13% of young men got tested for STIs in 2015. A few reasons including fear of being judged by doctors have been given for skipping STD testing. Most people feel embarrassed to go through the testing process.

Getting yourself tested for STD regularly is important because most STDs are easy to treat or manage when caught early and also reduces the risk of spreading them. We understand that this can be an anxious process so here’s what you should expect when you go to get tested. We hope this will put you at ease.

How do I Find a Clinic?

You can easily find a convenient STD clinic in Singapore by running a quick search online. Once you find a clinic that you feel comfortable visiting, give them a call to find out if you need to book an appointment. Some clinics allow walk-in clinics but make sure you confirm their work hours.

What Happens when you Get There?

• Sign In

When you get to the STD clinic or health center, go to the counter to register. You will be given a form to fill in your details such as name and age. You will then get a number that will be used to call you for the test. You might have to wait for a while before your name is called, depending on how many other people are in the queue.

• Routine Background Questions

Once you’re up a nurse will call you the consultation room and ask you a few routine questions. This is probably where the anxiety sets in. Just relax and don’t be nervous. These questions will be the same for everyone. The questions include the number of sexual partners, past and present, the kind of sex you’ve had, and whether you use protection or not. They’ll also ask you if you’ve noticed any STD symptoms or anything unusual lately. Try and remain calm and most importantly be honest and remember that everything is completely confidential.

• Testing

After the routine questions, the nurse will either take some blood samples or send you into the bathroom to provide urine samples. Usually, it will be a mix of both especially in cases where there are no existing symptoms. Once the samples are collected you’ll be asked to either wait for the results for a short while or come back later to collect them.

• The Results

The doctor will call you back in once your results are ready. They will then discuss the results with you. If they were able to detect any STD, treatment will commence. Sometimes they may require doing further tests. If this is the case, they’ll make the necessary arrangements. In cases where the tests come back negative, the doctor will tell you more about staying safe and healthy and you can ask any questions that you may have.

And with that, you’re done with your STD test. See not so bad, you can hack. If you’ve been putting it off, now is the time to visit your nearest STD clinic such as Shim Clinic and get it out of the way!