This section tells you about testing for STDs prior to having unprotected sex with a partner. It explains the various tests, and the window periods (the time between when a person is infected, and when a test can identify the infection) for a variety of STDs.
Talk with your partner and test now
First you can talk with your partner and hopefully he or she will agree to go for testing. STD testing is available at clinics and doctors offices throughout BC. It is a good idea to test before any sexual contact or as soon as possible after you start having sex. You may need to retest at a later time.
Window periods and limitations of STD testing
STD testing requires some time between when a person is infected and when the test can be expected to identify the infection. These are called window periods or incubation periods. They vary from a few days to 6 months. During incubation or window periods, an infected person can transmit the disease to someone else. The window period if you are doing a blood test tends to be longer than for other tests, as they are for the most part testing the person's immune response rather than for the "bug" itself. Remember with STD testing that you can still develop the infection after the tests are taken. A person could, therefore, have received recent negative test results yet still have an infection that could be transmitted to others. Also, while tests are mostly accurate they can be falsely negative and very occasionally, falsely positive.
How do I know when the window period begins and ends?
It can be difficult at the beginning of a relationship to have to question each other about previous sexual contacts. Most people, therefore, choose the time they decided to be mutually monogamous as the time to consider as the beginning of the window period.
If neither partner has had any sexual contact for 6 months or more, some couples decide the window period began 6 months before they met and ends at the time they met. They then choose not to retest. This is safe as long as both partners have really not had sex for 6 months or more.
Another option in order to cover these window period is to identify your last contact with a previous sex partner and take that as the starting point for calculating the time to retest. Even if you were with that partner for a long time, select the last time that you had sexual contact with that person as the beginning of the window period. STDs are not necessarily passed every time an infected person has sex with a partner: it could happen any time. Therefore, to be safe, consider the last sexual contact the time to start the clock running for the window period.
Specific STD Window Periods
Gonorrhea
The incubation period for Gonorrhea is usually 2 to 7 days.
Chlamydia
The incubation period for Chlamydia is usually 2 to 6 weeks, but can be longer.
Syphilis
The incubation period for Syphilis is usually 10 to 90 days.
HIV
The window period for HIV is usually 2 weeks to 3 months, but could be up to 6 months.
Hepatitis A
The incubation period for Hepatitis A is 15 to 50 days.
Hepatitis B
The incubation period for Hepatitis B is usually 45-180 days, with an average of 60 to 90 days.
Hepatitis C
The incubation period for Hepatitis C ranges from 2 weeks to 6 months - commonly, 6 to 9 weeks.
Talk with your partner about herpes & warts
There are no tests for genital warts and herpes tests are not necessarily useful. Herpes cultures require an active lesion to be present and herpes blood tests do not indicate whether the infection is genital or oral. Most people test positive on herpes blood tests because they were exposed to the virus orally as a child. It is therefore a good idea to discuss these 2 diseases with any new partner. Have you or your partner ever had genital herpes or cold sores on the mouth? Have either of you ever had genital warts diagnosed? Both of these diseases are common and having had either or both should not necessarily interfere with your relationship. Discussing these 2 diseases early in a relationship can reduce the chance of transmission.
Test later
As the incubation period for Chlamydia is up to 6 weeks, you can test at or after 6 weeks from the start of your relationship. It makes sense to test for gonorrhea at the same time. The blood tests - syphilis, HIV and possibly hepatitis - can be taken at 3 months. Most results would show up on an HIV and hepatitis test within 3 months of infection, but these tests can be repeated 6 months into the relationship to fully cover the window period.
Stopping the use of condoms
One reason couples seek STD testing is so that they can safely stop using condoms. You need to test to cover the window periods for the diseases and make sure any issues concerning herpes and warts have been resolved. Heterosexual couples who are not intending to start a family need to find an alternative form of contraception.
Many people wish to stop using condoms as soon as possible. As the romance intensifies and people feel more comfortable with each other, it is easy to start to feel that this partner could not possibly have an STD and condoms are an unnecessary barrier. However when the relationship is over - sometimes not too long afterwards - many people will regret the decision to have unprotected sex. To reduce STD infections, it is best to reduce the number of lifetime contacts, in particular, unprotected contacts. The longer you use condoms the better.
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