Transcript: Women need to be tested for certain common STDs on an annual basis. But which ones?  If you’re a sexually active female, it is vital that you get the most common STD test—a pap smear—annually.  A pap smear tests for pre-cancerous changes in the cervix that stem from the common STD, HPV or the human papilloma virus. Women who have sex with multiple partners or have symptoms of an STD should also ask for annual testing for gonorrhea and chlamydia.  If you test positive for either of these, it’s also important to be screened for syphilis, hepatitis, and HIV.  That’s because having one sexually transmitted disease makes you much more susceptible to contracting another. And, of course, women should always see a doctor for testing should signs of an STD occur.  These include unusual discharge and strange growths or ulcerations. Not having sex will unfailingly protect you from STDs, but that’s probably not a choice you’ll make—so always be safe!