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Pap screening is performed to examine the cellular structure of the cervical tissues, identifying whether there are specific changes that may be either malignant or benign growths within the area. Sexually active women with HPV infections are prone to cervical cancer due to the tendency of HPV to cause mutations and develop malignant changes in the area. Testing routinely for such will help physicians to identify any suspicious growths before it even develops into a malignant condition that could be more debilitating for the patient in the long run.

Contrary to how many people believe that STDs only affect the genitalia and the area around it, STDs infect multiple organs of the body, depending on how severe and extensive the condition already is. For instance, it mainly infects mucosal parts of the body – leading to infections that may be as extensive as those that affect the mouth, eyes, and deeper structures of the reproductive and urinary tract. In such cases where the condition has already invaded multiple organs, complications commonly arise – leading to more severe damages that are often irreversible.

Although NAATs are well-known for their accuracy and sensitivity in detecting most STDs, it is also subject to certain inconsistencies, especially in the case of herpes infections. In Herpes, outbreaks often result in a relative increase in the patient’s viral load – leading to a timeline that usually has specific peaks at certain intervals instead of a consistent rise in viral load throughout. As such, sensitive tests such as NAATs are still unable to accurately diagnose herpes conditions, especially in cases where the patient has recently become asymptomatic and is currently between outbreaks. Other tests such as culture testing and type-specific virologic tests are often employed instead as a confirmatory diagnosis for the patient’s condition.

No. Due to how the pathogens that cause a particular STD cannot survive in inanimate surfaces, it is implausible for one to contract an STD from a surface that once came into contact with an infected individual. In most cases, direct contact with infected bodily fluids is the method that has the highest potential to induce transmission of the pathogenic microorganism. Nevertheless, it is still a practical matter of hygiene to ensure that any surfaces you come into contact with are clean and appropriately sanitized to avoid the transmission of other microorganisms that may not necessarily induce an STD.