What tests should a couple take to start having sex without a condom?

Laboratories often offer clients testing for many STIs at once. The service package may include a dozen items, and not all of them are mandatory. In fact, basic tests are enough to refuse condoms. Both partners must submit them.

In the “ Yod ” telegram channel we tell you how to take care of your health based on evidence-based medicine.

The list of studies below is also suitable for those who are worried that they could become infected with something after unprotected sex. To do this, we suggest when it is better to take tests so that the results are reliable.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus can remain in the body without any symptoms for many years. The only way to find out if you have HIV is to get tested. It is best to donate venous blood for antibodies and antigens.

The results of an HIV test will be informative, that is, they will show a reliable result, only 18–45 days after infection. This means that there is no point in donating blood a week after unprotected sex, you need to wait.

It is worth getting tested for HIV not only for those who want to refuse a condom. Experts at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that all people between 13 and 64 years old get tested at least once in their lives.

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Hepatitis B and C

Diseases can be suspected by pain under the right hypochondrium or in the joints, general weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, yellowing of the eyes and skin. But hepatitis B and C are often asymptomatic, so to rule them out, it’s worth getting blood from a vein tested.

To find out if you have hepatitis B , you need to check whether the “Australian antigen”, or HBsAg, is present in the blood. Its presence indicates that the person is contagious. You should get tested 30–60 days after your last unprotected sex. If you just got vaccinated against hepatitis, you don’t need to go to the laboratory right away either. It’s better to wait a month. Otherwise, the analysis will show a false positive result.

During testing for hepatitis C, antibodies to the disease are detected. If the result is positive, this does not mean that the person is sick right now. Perhaps the virus has already receded. To find out for sure, you will need another analysis – a PCR test for the RNA of the virus.

Gonorrhea

An infected person, depending on their gender, may experience itching, thick yellow or green discharge, swollen testicles, painful urination, pain in the lower abdomen, and bleeding between menstruation. But often women do not experience any symptoms at all.

Smears are used for analysis. In women, the material is taken from the vagina, and in men, from the urethra. Men can also have their urine tested .

You can undergo examination within a few days after unprotected sex. But sometimes doctors advise waiting a week.

Syphilis

An infected person develops a red or red-brown rash. The rash can be all over the body or in specific areas. For example, on the chest, stomach, back, groin. Other symptoms include enlarged lymph nodes and fever. But sometimes the disease goes unnoticed. And then, if it is not detected and treated, syphilis can progress to the stage of neurosyphilis and affect the brain.

A bacterial infection can be detected by testing blood from a vein. The test should be done three weeks after the suspected infection.

Trichomoniasis

A parasitic infection can make itself felt with the following symptoms: itching, burning in the vagina or on the head of the penis, painful urination, fever, foamy yellow-green vaginal discharge with the smell of rotten fish, white discharge from the penis.

Trichomoniasis is detected during a smear test. In women they are taken from the vagina, in men – from the penis. But men can also donate urine for testing. You usually have to wait several days for results.

It is recommended to take tests 4–28 days after unprotected sex. This is the incubation period of the infection.

Chlamydia

Most people with the infection do not notice any symptoms. And if not identified, it will lead to serious consequences. In a woman, chlamydia can spread to the uterus and cause inflammation of the pelvic organs. And it is considered the main cause of ectopic pregnancy and infertility. In men, untreated chlamydia can cause swelling of the epididymis. This may affect fertility.

To test for chlamydia, women usually give a vaginal swab, and men a urine sample. Preparation of research results takes 7–10 days.

You should be tested for infection at least two weeks after your last unprotected sex. Otherwise, the results may be erroneous.

What tests are not necessary for a couple to undergo in order to refuse a condom?

Partners may not be tested for human papillomavirus just before abandoning barrier contraception. The fact is that ordinary contact with the skin and mucous membrane of the genitals is sufficient for infection. That is, it is not necessary to engage in penetrative sex. This means that with condoms, even when used correctly, there is no guaranteed protection against the virus.

HPV can be asymptomatic. In most cases, the infection goes away on its own within two years. But sometimes it can last longer and cause certain types of oncology : cancer of the cervix, vagina, throat, penis, anus.

There is no cure for HPV. No sprays, ointments, or suppositories containing interferons are effective. Only the consequences, such as precancerous lesions of the cervix, are subject to treatment. But there is a vaccine against the human papillomavirus . It helps protect against disease. You can get vaccinated up to 45 years of age.

Sometimes private laboratories offer patients a test for ureaplasma. You should not do this without a doctor’s prescription. The bacterium may be part of the normal genital flora of adults.

It is also not necessary to agree to tests for herpes, mycoplasma, gardenella and candidiasis. The last two studies have nothing to do with STIs at all.

How to protect yourself from STIs after getting tested

After receiving test results, it may turn out that one or both partners have an infection. In this case, it needs to be cured and only then discard the condom .

If we are talking about HIV, then the person who is diagnosed with it will need to start taking antiretroviral therapy. And giving up the condom will have to be postponed until the viral load becomes zero.

But even if the couple is absolutely healthy, it’s still worth trying to protect yourself. To do this you should:

• Do not have sex without a condom outside of a committed relationship.
• Get vaccinated against hepatitis B. The vaccine can be obtained at the clinic. The service is covered by the compulsory medical insurance policy.
• Get vaccinated against highly oncogenic types of HPV. The drugs Gardasil 4 and Cervarix are available in Russia. You can get vaccinated for a fee.

How to protect yourself after refusing a condom

If a couple does not intend to have children, it is worth thinking about ways to protect against unwanted pregnancy. But it is worth remembering that these methods will not help protect yourself from infections if one of the partners catches an STI outside of a regular relationship.

Hormonal contraception

These drugs release hormones that suppress ovulation. Therefore, pregnancy does not occur. Contraceptives are found in several forms of release:

• pills,
• intrauterine device ,
• vaginal ring,
• patch,

Non-hormonal contraception

The mechanism of action of the contraceptive depends on its type:

• A copper-containing intrauterine deviceincreases the viscosity of the mucus in the cervix, thereby preventing further penetration of sperm into the uterus. If they managed to get further, then the drug affects them in such a way that they lose the opportunity to fertilize the egg.
• Spermicides,when inserted into the vagina, destroy sperm during ejaculation .
• A cervical capcan be placed on the cervix yourself, and this will interfere with the penetration of sperm.

What to remember about tests before refusing a condom

If you and your partner want to refuse a condom, it is better for both of you to get tested for STIs first.

• It is enough to be tested for seven diseases: HIV, hepatitis B and C, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomoniasis, chlamydia.
• During testing for HIV, hepatitis and syphilis, a blood sample from a vein is tested.
• Gonorrhea, trichomoniasis and chlamydia are detected by a smear from the vagina or penis. Men can also donate urine.
• There is no need to be tested for HPV, mycoplasma, ureaplasma, herpes, gardenella and candidiasis.
• To protect yourself from STIs after refusing to use a condom, you should get vaccinated against hepatitis B and HPV, and also not have sex outside of a regular relationship.
• Hormonal and non-hormonal contraceptives will help you avoid unwanted pregnancy. For example, pills, intrauterine device, cervical cap.