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OISHA, Orcas Island Sexual Health Advocates, home

Module 10 · Health & safety

STIs & testing

How STIs spread, why testing matters, and what can and can’t be cured. 8 min · 3 lessons

Lesson 1

Many STIs have no symptoms

Many sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have no symptoms, so testing is the only way to know. A visit usually means a urine sample, a swab or a quick blood test.

Lesson 2

Who should get tested

  • Everyone 13 to 64 should be tested for HIV at least once.
  • Sexually active women under 25 should be tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea every year.
  • Gay and bisexual men should be tested for syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea and HIV at least once a year, and more often with multiple or anonymous partners.
  • Pregnant people should be tested for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C early in pregnancy.

Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomoniasis can be cured with medicine. Herpes, HIV and hepatitis B can’t be cured, but they can be managed with treatment, and most HPV infections clear on their own within two years.

Lesson 3

Your rights and free testing

In Washington, anyone 14 or older can get STI and HIV testing and treatment without a parent’s permission.

Free and at home: Together TakeMeHome mails free HIV self-tests to anyone 17 or older in the U.S. To find a testing site, search gettested.cdc.gov, or see local options.

Check yourself

Myth or fact?

You can tell if someone has an STI by looking at them.

Myth. Many STIs have no symptoms at all. Testing is the only way to know.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea can be cured with medicine.

Fact. Both are curable. Treatment can’t undo damage already done, which is why testing early matters.

Herpes and HIV can be cured.

Myth. They can be managed with treatment, but not cured. They stay with you for life.

Questions people ask

Asked and answered.

Where can I get tested near Orcas?

See testing options, including the county health clinic and Island Primary Care.

Do my parents have to know?

In Washington, anyone 14 or older can get STI testing and treatment on their own. See Your rights & privacy for the insurance caveat.

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