SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 24 April 2020 - Elyon Clinic has expanded their health and medical services beyond family medicine and GP care. The clinic now offers STI and STD testing in Singapore which includes urine test, oral/genital swab, swab from cell samples or discharge, blood tests as well as a physical examination on affected areas and skin surfaces. This is provided in their wide range of STD test packages which covers a broad number of STDs, such as HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis A/B/C.

Patients can come in for confidential screening and various HIV tests that depend on time from exposure, ranging from rapid HIV tests to conventional laboratory-based blood test. This comes at a time where the need for HIV test clinics becomes even more apparent based on the rising rates of sexual diseases.

STIs and STDs have remained to be a persistent and global endemic health threat. According to World Health Organization (WHO), more than a million people worldwide catch a sexually transmitted infection daily, with worrying rates of gonorrhoea, syphilis and chlamydia.

More than 260,000 syphilis cases were reported from 30 countries, including United States and United Kingdom, between 2007 to 2017. In Singapore, recent figures show about 1,500 syphilis cases were reported on average every year in the last 5 years. For those aged 15 to 19, they accounted for over 90 per cent of all adolescent STI cases with chlamydia being the most common infection, followed by gonorrhoea and genital warts.

Common symptoms include painful urination, swollen lymph nodes at the groin, and rashes, sores or blisters on the genitalia. However, STI or STD can be asymptomatic or appear as very mild until the later stages. An infected person can unknowingly transmit the sexual disease to others through sex via vaginal, anal or oral intercourse and genital touching.

Thus, if one has been at risk, it is advisable to do an STD testing to diagnose the infection. Untreated STI or STD can also result in a range of health complications including, pelvic inflammatory disease, including infertility, nerve and brain damage or even result in fatality. People can catch it from infected partners or spouses as well, and an infected pregnant woman may pass it on to her newborn. Most STIs and STDs can be treated or managed with early detection.

Individuals can seek to minimise their risks of getting infected with an STI or STD through a number of ways. The use of condoms is highly recommended for all forms of sexual contact, including oral intercourse. HIV PEP, or HIV Post Exposure Prophylaxis, is a medication that can be prescribed after an individual suspects that they might have been potentially exposed to HIV. It is less than 100% effective, but the success rate is high if HIV PEP is taken within 72 hours. Regular STD screening plays a big role in detecting and treating infections, especially since most cases do not display any symptoms -- particularly in the early stages. Individuals can pay a visit to an STD clinic in Singapore and undergo a screening package or individual testing depending on one's health needs.

With the expansion, Elyon Clinic is able to meet a broad range of health needs and concerns related to sexual diseases. They provide a comprehensive assessment and suitable recommendations for the relevant HIV/STD tests before following up with proper medical care and treatment. For acute ailments and chronic illnesses, this family medicine practice also offers primary care for patients of all ages including seniors, infants and children. Their board-accredited family physician, Dr Vincent Chia, who has more than 20 years of clinic experience, also has a niche interest in Women's and Men's health to provide specialised care for health issues such as premature ejaculation and erectile dysfunction.

For more information, please visit: https://elyonclinic.com.sg/