Genitourinary symptoms most commonly indicate a sexually transmitted disease (STD), although there are other possibilities. Some STDs can be diagnosed based on the physical examination alone, while others require STD testing to ensure that the diagnosis is correct.
Genitourinary symptoms are those symptoms that occur in the genitals and the urinary system. Because these two systems are so closely linked anatomically, symptoms in one of them typically also have an effect on the other. This is particularly apparent in men, because the tube that carries urine away from the body (the urethra) also carries semen. Any infection in the urethra can cause both pain or burning with urination as well as with ejaculation.
Many STDs cause %genitourinary symptoms%. Both gonorrhea and chlamydia cause pain or burning with urination or ejaculation, lower abdominal pain and pain during sex for women, and abnormal discharge from the vagina or penis. Herpes causes painful sores to appear on the genitals, which heal but then often reappear, with most patients having recurrent outbreaks. The virus called HPV causes genital warts, which are non-painful growths on the genitals. Syphilis generally begins as a non-painful ulcer, although it later causes symptoms throughout the body if it’s not treated.
Some STDs can be diagnosed based on the symptoms and physical examination alone. A doctor at an STD clinic can usually diagnose herpes based on the appearance of the sores and the medical history, and the diagnosis of genital warts is often also very clear. In these cases, %STD testing% is usually unnecessary to establish the diagnosis.
In other cases, STD testing is necessary in order to figure out what’s causing the symptoms. Gonorrhea and chlamydia cause very similar symptoms, and it can be nearly impossible to tell them apart solely based on the symptoms. In addition, it’s common to have both infections at once. STD testing allows a physician to determine which organism is causing the infection so that they can prescribe the right antibiotics to take care of the issue.
While STD testing isn’t needed to establish the diagnosis of herpes or genital warts, it may still be recommended that you get STD testing if you have one of these infections. That’s because it’s very common to be exposed to more than one STD during a single encounter. Even if you don’t have any genitourinary symptoms at all, %STD testing in Singapore% is still recommended once a year if you’re a sexually active adult. Some STDs don’t cause any symptoms in many infected people, but can still cause health problems later on if they’re not caught and treated. To get STD testing in Singapore, whether or not you have symptoms, you should visit an STD clinic, where an expert physician can advise you on which tests you need and how often.
Sources:
Mayo Clinic. “STD symptoms: Common STDs and their symptoms.” Mayo Clinic. Published 18 Mar 2015. Accessed 25 Jun 2016. http://www.mayoclinic.org/std-symptoms/art-20047081
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 25 Feb 2014. Accessed 26 Jun 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/std/general/default.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Screening Recommendations Referenced in Treatment Guidelines and Original Recommendation Sources.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 4 Jun 2015. Accessed 20 Jun 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/screening-recommendations.htm
References
Genitourinary at Shim Clinic, Singapore