What To Do If You've Been Exposed to an STI
Sometimes a patient will receive a message from a partner or previous partner who reports they have tested positive for a sexually transmitted infection. Sometimes this comes from your local health department. If this happens, it is called a known exposure to an STI.
A known exposure means someone told you that you have been exposed to a specific STI. Your job is to get treated.
What to Expect at Your Appointment
At an appointment for a known exposure, you will tell the clinician what you've been exposed to so that the appropriate treatment can be sent to the pharmacy. There are some STIs that require treatment in an office like the health department.
Why Treatment Matters Even Without Symptoms
It is important to have an appointment and complete treatment for a known exposure, even if you are not having symptoms. Many STIs have no symptoms.
We also recommend completing STI testing if you had a known exposure because many STIs tend to be diagnosed at the same time.
Learn More About STI Testing
This article is part of Haven Health Education, where we explain sexually transmitted infections and what to do if you have symptoms or a known exposure.
STI Exposure Care in Greensboro and Across North Carolina
If you have been told you were exposed to an STI, Haven Health provides confidential, judgment-free care in Greensboro, North Carolina and by telehealth across the state.
Many patients are unsure what steps to take after receiving a message about an exposure. Haven Health helps you understand what treatment is needed, what testing to complete, and how to prevent reinfection.
Patients from Greensboro, High Point, Jamestown, Oak Ridge, Summerfield, Kernersville, and surrounding Guilford County communities visit Haven Health for compassionate STI care.
If you live anywhere in Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham, Asheville, Wilmington, or anywhere in NC, you can meet with a provider virtually to discuss your exposure, and we can send you orders for testing to be completed at a lab near you.
Haven Health provides patient-centered, evidence-based STI care both in person and online across North Carolina.