Why Testing for Sexually Transmitted Infections Is So Important for Women

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) affect both men and women, but they can be more impactful on women, especially when it comes to their reproductive health.

In 2024, there were more than 2.2 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis that were reported in the United States, which means that transmission of STIs is still fairly high.

Since April is STI Awareness Month in the US, Dr. Chetanna Okasi and the team at Women’s Wellness MD thought it would be a great opportunity to emphasize the importance of regular STI testing for women. Let’s take a look.

How STIs affect a woman’s reproductive health

There are several reasons why women need to be on higher alert when it comes to STIs, including:

Preventing fertility issues

If you have an STI that goes untreated, it can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease. Going a step further, pelvic inflammatory disease is a common cause of infertility.

Preventing pelvic pain

Another side effect of pelvic inflammatory disease is pelvic pain, which can impact your quality of life.

Preventing transmission to your kids

Did you know that you can pass on some STIs — namely chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, genital warts, HIV, and syphilis — to kids through pregnancy, delivery, and even breastfeeding?

As you can see, STIs in women can cast a fairly wide net, especially when they go untreated, which is why screening is so important. The reality is that you can have an STI without symptoms, so testing is critical.

For your health and the health of others, regular STI testing is a great practice.

STI screening guidelines

Let’s review screening guidelines for STI screening, and we turn to the CDC for guidance. These guidelines include:

Testing at least once for HIV
Testing at least once for syphilis
All pregnant women should test at least once early on for syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C
Testing annually for chlamydia and gonorrhea for women under the age of 25
Testing annually for chlamydia and gonorrhea for women over the age of 25 who have a new partner, multiple partners, or a partner with an existing STI

These guidelines very much depend upon your sexual activity and whether you use protection. We also want to point out that vaginal intercourse isn’t the only way to pass on an STI. Oral and anal sex can also lead to STIs.

For more detailed STI screening guidelines, click here.

Setting up your STI screening

The good news is that STI testing is quick and easy, and we can do it (or order it) during your well-woman exam. We can continually update your STI screening schedule based on your lifestyle to make sure we safeguard your reproductive health.

To determine a schedule for STI screening that works best for your circumstances, we invite you to contact us today by calling our Columbia or Greenbelt, Maryland, office or using our online booking feature to schedule a visit.