Should you get tested for STDs/STIs regularly?

Most people understand the importance of getting an annual medical check‑up to establish a health baseline and detect issues early. Because that allows them to identify health problems early on and get them treated before they become serious.

But how many of us consider our STD status with the same vigor?

Not many. Why?

Because most of us have not been taught so in our regular schooling or via our regular learning channels. Only a few seek out this information before exposure. Most people look for STD testing only after suspected exposure.

STDs have long been taboo—confined to hushed conversations. That’s why we are bringing this discussion into the open. The more you know about this, the better you can protect yourself against STDs.

Should you consider routine STD testing?

You are in an exclusive monogamous relationship

If you are in a monogamous relationship and are confident that neither you nor your partner has been exposed to STDs, you may think you do not need regular testing. At the most you may think you test once to get an initial confirmation that you both do not have any STDs.

That makes sense unless, either partner has been sexually intimate with someone outside your monogamous relationship. Or if one or both of you have been exposed to STDs without cheating - such as getting exposed to HIV via an infected needle or herpes via touch.

Testing also helps you detect any dormant undetected STDs you may have acquired from sexual relationships prior to current monogamous relationship. Remember just because you do not have symptoms does not prevent you from bodily damage or your current sex partner to get infected.

In either case you still need STD testing.

You want to start a new relationship

If you're entering a new intimate relationship, wouldn't you want to both know your STD status from the start?

You and your partner – both – should get tested via a comprehensive STD test panel. Then you both share results and have an open discussion about it. This is an ideal approach for you and your partner to lay a solid foundation of your sexual health baseline and trust-transparency from the start. It also gives you a way to open the conversation on your and their STD status and prior history.

Afterward, annual testing for major STDs helps maintain that safety and closeness.

Obviously, for everyone else, routine – once a year or more often – STD testing is a smart choice.

Why is regular STD testing important?

Regular STD testing for STDs is crucial because:

• Either you or your partner could have sexual encounters unknown to the other, potentially introducing new infections.
• STDs/STIs can pass on to you, at times, without any type of sexual encounter.
• Many STDs show no symptoms—routine testing is often the only way to detect them.¹
• Early detection allows timely treatment, preventing complications and reducing transmission.²

Is sexual health or STD testing really that important?

Absolutely! If sex is as important as eating or sleeping, sexual health is also as important as digestive health or sleep health.

So, why we – especially those of us in the most vulnerable groups – don’t pay the attention to it? Because:

• Those of us that are young people often feel invincible and engage in casual sex without awareness of STD risks.⁵
• Those of us that are older adults—especially those in assisted- or community-living—are sexually active, aided by medications like Viagra. However, many of us lack updated knowledge because we relied on monogamous norms during earlier decades.³

Rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia have more than doubled among people aged 55 and older over the past decade, with chlamydia cases among those 65+ tripling, gonorrhea six-fold, and syphilis nearly ten-fold between 2010 and 2023.⁴

Teenagers are also heavily affected: individuals aged 15–24 account for nearly half of reported chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis cases.⁵

Despite screening guidelines, most doctors don’t automatically test for STDs during annual exams unless risk factors or pregnancy are present.

How do you take charge of your sexual health?

Practice the safe-sex behaviors and get tested regularly. See below the top 5 Best Safe‑Sex Practices recommended by sexual health experts:

1. Always use condoms and/or dental dams consistently and correctly.
2. Get vaccinated against HPV and hepatitis B.
3. Limit number of sexual partners or maintain a mutually monogamous agreement.
4. Get tested and communicate openly with partners about STD/STI history before intimacy. Your health is precious, so don’t compromise.
5. Refrain from sex if you or your partner have tested positive or are have an active STD flare up, and resume sex only after completion of necessary treatment.
6. Use PrEP or PEP if at increased risk for HIV, as advised by a healthcare provider.

Other recommended reads…

To help you develop a well-rounded understanding of the factors around STD exposure and STD testing, we recommend that you also read:

• Situations where people believe they and their partners are STD-free—but may be mistaken 
• Risk factors that increase your chances of contracting STDs and why that should influence testing frequency
• Guidelines for those who test or have tested positive and need follow‑up screenings prior to resuming sex

Summary

Yes, there is more to understanding STD exposure and need for testing. Choosing to ignore or avoid STD testing or treatment will not make them go away.

Even in trusted, monogamous relationships, transmission can occur via asymptomatic or non-sexual routes (e.g., herpes outbreaks, blood transfusions, or shared needle use).

The only reliable way to know your STD status and get timely STD treatment is by getting tested regularly.