The Clarity Testing Clinic offers confidential STI testing and treatment for men and women. STI Information posted below is courtesy of Medical Institute for Sexual Health.
To schedule an appointment in our clinic please use our Appointment Page. If you need to ask a question about STI Testing and Treatment, please call us at (812) 418-3230.
Chlamydia
What Is It?
Chlamydia is the most commonly reported bacterial STI.
How Do You Get It?
Sex (vaginal, oral, or anal) with infected person; contagious even without symptoms.
Symptoms
Most don’t know they are infected. Those who are sexually active need to be tested for these infections at least yearly. Symptoms can include pain when urinating or a discharge coming from the penis or vagina. Infection can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can cause severe abdominal pain and difficulty in getting pregnant.
Testing
Testing is performed through a vaginal, urethral, anal or throat swab or through a urine sample.
Treatment
Can be treated with antibiotics. Treatment of infertility is expensive and not always successful.
More Information
For more information please visit: The CDC Chlamydia Facts.
Gonorrhea
What Is It?
Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported bacterial STI.
How Do You Get It?
Sex (vaginal, oral, or anal) with infected person; contagious even without symptoms.
Symptoms
Most don’t know they are infected. Those who are sexually active need to be tested for these infections at least yearly. Symptoms can include pain when urinating or a discharge coming from the penis or vagina. Infection can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can cause severe abdominal pain and difficulty in getting pregnant.
Testing
Testing is performed through a vaginal, urethral, anal or throat swab or through a urine sample.
Treatment
Can be treated with antibiotics. Treatment of infertility is expensive and not always successful.
More Information
For more information please visit: The CDC Gonorrehea Facts.
Hepatitis B
What Is It?
Hepatitis B is a common viral blood-borne infection.
How Do You Get It?
Sex (anal or vaginal); contagious even without symptoms.
Needle sharing when shooting drugs.
Tattoos or body piercings with previously used (unsterilized) needle.
Symptoms
Many don’t know they are infected.
May cause liver damage, which may make your skin and eyes turn yellow (jaundice), and make you feel tired and nauseated.
Can also cause cancer and death.
Testing
Testing is performed through a drawn blood sample.
Treatment
There are a few antiviral medications that can be tried; these medications are expensive, have to be used for a long time, may have side effects and don’t always work.
More Information
For more information please visit: The CDC Hepatitis Facts.
Hepatitis C
What Is It?
Hepatitis C is the most common viral chronic blood-borne infection in the U.S.
How Do You Get It?
Needle sharing while shooting drugs (most common).
Tattoos or body piercings with a previously used (unsterilized) needle.
Sex (anal or vaginal); contagious even without symptoms.
Having other STI’s increases the risk of getting Hepatitis C.
Symptoms
Many don’t know they are infected.
May cause liver damage, which may make your skin and eyes turn yellow (jaundice), and make you feel tired and nauseated.
Can also cause cancer and death.
Testing
Testing is performed through a drawn blood sample.
Treatment
There are a few antiviral medications that can be tried; these medications are expensive, have to be used for a long time, may have side effects and don’t always work.
More Information
For more information please visit: The CDC Hepatitis Facts.
Herpes
What Is It?
Herpes is a common infection caused by herpes simplex virus.
How Do You Get It?
Sex (vaginal, oral or anal) with an infected person or during other intimate contact (such as mutual masturbation); contagious even without symptoms.
Symptoms
Most don’t know they are infected.
Symptoms can include blisters or sores in genital area, pain & burning during urination.
Symptoms may also include cold sores & fever blisters around the mouth.
If you have one painful skin outbreak, you almost always have other outbreaks.
Testing
Testing is performed through a drawn blood sample.
Treatment
Antiviral medications help, but can’t cure the disease.
More Information
For more information please visit: The CDC Herpes Facts.
HIV
What Is It?
HIV is a virus that invades the immune system and destroys it over time; this reduces a person’s ability to fight off infections and cancer. People with HIV usually develop AIDS, which can be fatal.
How Do You Get It?
Contact with infected blood or from body fluids during anal, vaginal, or oral sex; contagious even without symptoms Risk is greatly increased if you have anal sex, multiple partners or shoot drugs. Having other STIs increases the risk of getting HIV.
Symptoms
At first, you may have flu-like symptoms (tiredness, fever, aches); you may have no other symptoms for years. If you develop AIDS, you may get multiple infections that other people fight off easily.
Testing
Testing is performed through an oral swab or a drawn blood sample.
Treatment
Most people with HIV can prolong their lives by taking several medications every day for the rest of their lives; these drugs are expensive and may have side effects.
More Information
For more information visit: The CDC HIV Facts.
HPV
What Is It?
HPV is the most commonly acquired viral STI. It infects skin & mucous membranes, primarily in genital area.
How Do You Get It?
Skin-to-skin contact (including some skin condoms don’t cover) during sex (vaginal, anal, or oral) or during other intimate genital contact (such as mutual masturbation); contagious even without symptoms.
Symptoms
Most don’t know they are infected.
Some have warts in their genital area.
Most clear the virus naturally within 2 years.
Certain strains can cause cervical cancer.
Testing
Testing is performed through a cervical sample obtained with a Pap Smear.
Treatment
Warts can be treated, but they sometimes return. A Pap test can detect cervical cancer in early treatable stages.
More Information
For more information please visit: The CDC HPV Facts.
Syphilis
What Is It?
Syphilis is a highly contagious bacterial infection.
How Do You Get It?
Direct contact with highly infectious sores or patches; these are usually on the genitals or mouth.
Sex (vaginal, oral or anal) with an infected person or during other intimate contact (such as mutual masturbation); contagious even without symptoms.
Symptoms
You may get a painless, unnoticed ulcer that goes away in a few weeks.
Next you may have flu-like symptoms and a rash.
Advanced untreated syphilis can cause paralysis, blindness, bursting of major blood vessels and death.
Testing
Testing is performed through a drawn blood sample.
Treatment
Can be treated with antibiotics.
Treatment can prevent further damage but will not repair any damage already done.
More Information
For more information visit: The CDC Syphilis Facts.
Trichomoniasis
What Is It?
An extremely common parasite that causes genital infection.
How Do I Get It?
Contact with infected body fluids during vaginal sex; contagious even without symptoms.
Symptoms
Most don’t know they are infected.
Females may notice thin, watery vaginal discharge, vaginal irritation and pain during sex.
Both females and males may have burning when they urinate.
Testing
Testing is performed through a vaginal swab sample or through a urine sample.
Treatment
It can be treated with oral medication.
More Information
For more information visit: CDC Trichomoniasis Facts.