Which STIs Are Cured, Which Are Managed, and Which Require Clinical Judgment?
Medically reviewed by our MD Laboratory Director (a role required by CLIA; the director's name is on file in the CMS CLIA database, #45D2048957, and can be verified independently) · Editorial policy
Bacterial and protozoal STIs are curable. HSV and HIV are managed, not cured.CLIA #45D2048957 · CAP #8722734 · Same-day results · Walk-ins welcome
Patients arrive assuming every positive result means the same thing. It does not. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and trichomonas are curable with the regimens in the CDC STI Treatment Guidelines. HSV and HIV are lifelong but manageable — modern therapy is extremely effective. And a third group, the colonizers, often need no treatment at all.
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📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome
The three buckets
| Bucket | Organisms | What treatment achieves |
|---|---|---|
| Curable | Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomonas, M. genitalium | Eradication, per CDC regimens |
| Managed long-term | HSV-1/2, HIV | Suppression, reduced transmission, normal life expectancy with HIV therapy |
| Often no treatment | Ureaplasma, M. hominis, Gardnerella without clinical BV | Nothing — see colonization vs. infection |
CDC guidelines name the drug classes — doxycycline, ceftriaxone, azithromycin, metronidazole, benzathine penicillin G. Which one is right for you depends on the organism, resistance, allergy history and pregnancy. That is a physician's decision.
Resistance is not theoretical
Gonorrhea has walked through most of the antibiotics that once worked on it, which is why CDC narrowed its recommendation. Mycoplasma genitalium carries macrolide resistance at high rates. This is precisely why self-medicating with a leftover pill is worse than doing nothing — see why not to self-medicate.
We name drugs, never doses. Every treatment statement here is attributed to CDC guidance, and every path ends the same way: a licensed physician decides what you actually take.
Same day, start to finish. Sample by 1:00 PM → results at 4:30 PM → if treatment is clinically appropriate, a licensed physician in our partner network sees you between 4:30 and 6:00 PM, a few minutes away. That window is reserved for patients tested here, and your slot is held the moment we take your sample — the slot is held, not hunted. On your own, a same-day appointment is nearly impossible; at an urgent care, you wait in the queue. STAT: ~2 hours, sample in by 3:00 PM.
FAQ
- If it is curable, why retest?
- Because reinfection from an untreated partner is the norm, not the exception. CDC advises retesting at about 3 months — see retesting.
- Can herpes be cured?
- No. It is suppressed and managed, and antiviral therapy substantially reduces outbreaks and transmission.
- Is HIV a death sentence?
- No. On modern antiretroviral therapy, people with HIV live full lives and, when virally suppressed, do not transmit sexually. Getting tested is what makes that possible.
- Do you prescribe over text?
- No. A licensed physician sees you in person, with your molecular result in hand.
Not sure what you need? Text us and we will set it up.
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
📱 Text (713) 832-8892 📞 Call (713) 266-0808
3707 Westcenter Dr Suite 100, Houston, TX 77042 · Walk-ins welcome