infectious diseases
Overview of Sexually Transmitted Infections
Diagnosis of STIs
History and physical examination Gram staining and culture or nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) Blood tests A medical history, including sexual history, is taken to assess for risk factors for STIs. Physical examination is performed if symptoms are associated with potential STIs. Diagnostic testing may include blood tests or collection of specimens from lesions or potential sites of infections for Gram staining and culture or NAATs. STIs are diagnosed and treated in a variety of settings; sometimes, diagnostic tests are limited or unavailable or patient follow-up is uncertain. Thus, identification of the causative organism may not occur. In such situations, diagnosis is based on clinical findings. 