Your Cart

Condition

Sexual Health - STI's Information

What are sexually transmitted infections? — Sexually transmitted infections, often called STIs, are infections you can catch during sex. They are also called sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. Some STIs are caused by bacteria, and others are caused by viruses.

The most common STIs include:

  • Chlamydia
  • Gonorrhea
  • Mycoplasma genitalium
  • Genital herpes, also called "herpes simplex virus" or "HSV"
  • Genital warts, also called "human papillomavirus" or "HPV" – Some types of HPV can cause cervical cancer in women.
  • Hepatitis A, B, and C
  • Syphilis
  • Trichomoniasis
  • Human immunodeficiency virus, also called "HIV" – This is the virus that causes AIDS.

Many of these infections can be transmitted through any type of sex. That includes not just penis-in-vagina or penis-in-anus sex, but also oral sex and other types of sex play. HIV and hepatitis can be transmitted in other ways, too, such as exposure to body fluids.

What is STI screening? — STI screening includes a series of tests that doctors use to find out if a person has any STIs. STIs often don't cause any symptoms. People can have STIs and not know it. That's what makes screening so important.

Doctors recommend that people who are at risk for STIs be screened even if they have no symptoms and feel fine. For example, you could be at risk for chlamydia if you had unprotected sex with a new partner. Screening for chlamydia will alert your doctor that you have this infection. Treatment will prevent the infection from getting worse and keep you from infecting other people.

There are different types of tests that screen for different infections. Many STIs can be found through a blood or urine test. If you decide to be screened for STIs, your doctor or nurse can work with you to figure out which specific tests you need.

Who should be screened for STIs? — Different screening tests are appropriate for different people, depending on their gender and sex habits.

  • All men and women (including teenagers) should get screened for HIV.
  • All girls and women younger than 26 years who have had sex should be screened every year for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
  • Older women who have sex with more than one partner and do not use condoms should be screened every year for gonorrhea and chlamydia.
  • All men and women who are having sex and either do not have a stable partner or are having sex with more than one partner should get screened for hepatitis B.
  • All men and women born between 1945 and 1965 should be screened for hepatitis C. Also, anyone who has had sex with a person infected with hepatitis C should be screened.
  • Pregnant women should be screened for syphilis, chlamydia, HIV, and hepatitis B. Some pregnant women might also need to be screened for other infections depending on their sex habits.
  • Men and women who are infected with HIV should be screened at least once for hepatitis A, B, and C. They should also be screened at least once a year for syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Women who are infected with HIV should be screened at least once a year for trichomonas. Men who are infected with HIV, and who have sex with men with HIV, should be screened at least once a year for hepatitis C.
  • Men who have sex with men should be screened at least once for hepatitis A, B, and C. They should also be screened at least once a year for HIV, syphilis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea.

The list above includes some general guidelines, but some people might need other screening tests depending on their sex habits and other factors. If you are unsure whether you should be screened and for what, ask your doctor or nurse for advice.

Where can I get screened? — If you have a doctor or nurse you see regularly, he or she should be able to screen you. But if you prefer to have screening done without your regular doctor or nurse, or if you don't have one, you can go to a clinic. To find a clinic near you, check with your local Department of Health or visit www.plannedparenthood.org. Some clinics let you get screened without giving your name (anonymously).

Be careful with any pharmacies or online stores that offer to sell you kits to use at home to screen for STIs. For some of these tests, you turn in or mail away a sample, and then you get the results either by phone or online. For others, you do a test at home and get results within an hour. But it is not always clear which test kits are ones you can trust. If you do use one of these kits and get a positive result, be sure to follow up with a doctor or nurse. And if you get a negative result but think you might have an infection, see a doctor or nurse.

What symptoms should I watch for? — In general, watch out for any genital itching, burning, sores, or discharge. But be aware that many STIs do not cause any symptoms. The best way to know for sure if you have an STI is to be screened.

What if I have an STI? — If you have an STI, you will need treatment. The right treatment will depend on the type of STI you have. Treatment might include antibiotics or medicines called antivirals, which fight viruses. Treatment will cure your infection or keep it from getting worse. It will also reduce the chances that you spread your infection to others.

If you do have an infection, you might need to tell the people you could have infected. Your doctor or nurse can help you figure out which partners you need to tell based on when you last had sex with them.

Can STIs be prevented? — There is no surefire way to prevent all STIs, but there are things you can do to reduce your chances of catching one.

  • The most important thing you can do is to wear a condom every time you have sex. Both male and female condoms can protect against STIs. But be aware that male condoms made out of "natural materials," such as sheep intestine, do not protect against STIs.
  • Ask your doctor if there are any vaccines you should have. If you are 26 years old or younger, you can get a vaccine to protect against HPV, the virus that causes genital warts. If you do not have hepatitis A or B and have not already gotten the vaccine for hepatitis A or B, you can get those vaccines, too.
  • If your partner has herpes, he or she can reduce the chances of infecting you by taking a medicine called valacyclovir (brand name: Valtrex).
  • If you are at very high risk of catching HIV, you might be able to take a pill every day to reduce the chances that you will get HIV. This is an option only for very few at-risk people. If you are interested in this, talk to your doctor.

What are chlamydia and gonorrhea? — Chlamydia and gonorrhea are 2 different infections that you can catch during sex. They cause similar symptoms.

These infections can affect the:

  • Sex organs
  • Urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body)
  • Throat
  • Rectum or anus (especially in men who have sex with men)

Infections that you can catch during sex are called "sexually transmitted infections."

What are the symptoms of chlamydia and gonorrhea? — Often these infections cause no symptoms. But when they do, the symptoms are different for men than for women.

  • In women, the symptoms of both infections include:
    • Vaginal discharge or itching
    • Abnormal vaginal bleeding or spotting
    • Belly pain
    • Pain during sex
    • Burning or pain during urination
  • In men, the symptoms of both infections include:
    • Burning or pain during urination
    • Discharge from the penis
    • Pain, swelling, or tenderness of the testicles

In men who have sex with men, both infections can also cause rectal pain, discharge, and bleeding.

Are there tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea? — Yes. Your doctor or nurse can test you for these infections using a:

  • Urine sample
  • Sample from inside the vagina, if you are a woman

Your doctor or nurse might also take a sample from your throat or rectum, if those areas might be infected.

Should I see a doctor or nurse? — Yes, you should see a doctor or nurse if you have any of the symptoms listed above. You should also see a doctor or nurse if any of your sexual partners have been diagnosed with either infection. Even if you have no symptoms, you could be infected.

Your doctor might want to test you for sexually transmitted infections now and in the future.

How are chlamydia and gonorrhea treated? — The main treatment for both infections is antibiotics. The antibiotics for gonorrhea come in a single shot and a pill. The antibiotic for chlamydia comes in a pill. Treatment might involve taking a single pill, or it might involve taking medicine for a whole week. No matter what, make sure you take all the pills your doctor or nurse prescribes. Otherwise the infection might come back.

If you have chlamydia or gonorrhea, you should tell the person you last had sex with, and anyone you have had sex with in the past 2 to 3 months. They might also be infected (even if they have no symptoms) and need treatment.

Many people with chlamydia or gonorrhea get the infection again after treatment. After getting treated, you should get tested again a few months later, even if you have no symptoms.

What happens if I don't get treated? — Leaving chlamydia or gonorrhea untreated can cause long-term problems for both men and women. In women it can lead to a problem called "pelvic inflammatory disease," or "PID." PID can cause pain and make it hard to get pregnant later. In men and women, leaving gonorrhea untreated can lead to joint infections and arthritis. It can also increase the risk of becoming infected with HIV.

What if I want to get pregnant? — If you think you might have chlamydia or gonorrhea, it's important to get tested and treated before trying to get pregnant. If you don't get treatment, the infection can cause problems with the pregnancy. You could also pass the infection on to your baby during delivery. Babies who get infected often have a problem called "conjunctivitis," which is when their eyes are swollen and red and ooze liquid. They can have other problems, too.

In the United States, most newborn babies get antibiotic ointment put into their eyes soon after birth. This helps prevent infection with gonorrhea, but not chlamydia.

Can chlamydia and gonorrhea prevented? — You can reduce your chances of getting chlamydia or gonorrhea by:

  • Using a latex condom every time you have sex
  • Avoiding sex when you or your partner has any symptoms that could be caused by an infection (such as itching, discharge, or pain with urination)
  • Not having sex

What is syphilis? — Syphilis is an infection that you can catch during sex. Infections that you can catch during sex are called "sexually transmitted infections." It is also possible for a pregnant woman to give syphilis to her baby.

Syphilis has different stages. The stages (in the order that they usually happen) are called:

  • Primary syphilis
  • Secondary syphilis
  • Latent syphilis
  • Late-stage syphilis (also called tertiary syphilis)

In some cases, the infection moves to the brain, ears, or eyes. This can happen in any of the stages of syphilis.

What are the symptoms of primary syphilis? — Primary syphilis is the first stage of infection. Symptoms start 2 to 3 weeks after the person becomes infected. At that time, the person usually gets a raised red bump on the spot where the infection first entered the body. This bump is usually painless. Eventually it turns into a small sore (or ulcer) with a raised edge.

The sores caused by syphilis usually form on the penis or around the vagina or anus. But they can also form in places that are hard to see, such as the back of the throat or inside the vagina or rectum.

Sores caused by primary syphilis usually heal on their own within a few weeks. Since they don't hurt, many people don't get treatment for them.

What are the symptoms of secondary syphilis? — Secondary syphilis is the second stage of infection. It starts weeks or a few months after primary syphilis and happens in about 25 percent of people who don't get treatment for their primary syphilis.

Symptoms of secondary syphilis include:

  • A widespread rash
  • Large, raised, gray or white patches on warm, moist areas of the body (such as the mouth and genitals)
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Sore throat, muscle aches, and other flu-like symptoms
  • Weight loss
  • Swollen lymph nodes in the neck, armpit, and groin area (lymph nodes are bean-shaped organs scattered throughout the body that store infection-fighting cells)

What are the symptoms of latent syphilis? — Latent syphilis actually causes no symptoms. People who have this form can have the infection for years without knowing it.

What are the symptoms of late-stage syphilis? — Late-stage syphilis (also called tertiary syphilis) can cause serious damage to the heart, skin, brain, and other organs.

What is neurosyphilis? — "Neurosyphilis" is the term for a syphilis infection that has moved into the brain, the spinal cord, or the tissues that surround both. Neurosyphilis can happen during any of the stages of syphilis. Symptoms of it include:

  • Headache
  • Confusion
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Stiff neck
  • Vision loss or trouble seeing clearly

If the doctor suspects you have neurosyphilis, you might need a test called a "lumbar puncture," sometimes called a "spinal tap." For this test, the doctor takes a small sample of fluid from the space around the spinal cord. Then the fluid is tested for the bacteria that cause syphilis.

Some people also have vision problems if syphilis involves the eyes. This can happen in anyone with syphilis, but may be more common in people who also have HIV infection.

Is there a test for syphilis? — Yes. Your doctor can order blood tests to find out if you have syphilis.

Should I see a doctor or nurse? — You should see a doctor or nurse if you have symptoms of syphilis, or if any of your sexual partners have been diagnosed with syphilis. Doctors also recommend that people who are at high risk for syphilis get tested regularly.

If you see a doctor or nurse to be checked for syphilis, he or she might want to test you for other sexually transmitted infections, too. That's because people who get one type of sexually transmitted infection are often at risk for other types.

Even if you have no symptoms, it's still possible that you could be infected. If you are infected, there are treatments to cure syphilis.

How is syphilis treated? — Syphilis is usually treated with an antibiotic called penicillin. The amount of time a person must take penicillin depends on what stage of infection they are in. Most people can get a penicillin shot, but some people need to get the medicine through a thin tube that goes into a vein, called an "IV." People who are allergic to penicillin need to take a different antibiotic.

After finishing treatment, most people need follow-up testing to make sure they are cured. Some people need to get multiple blood tests over a few years.

Can syphilis be prevented? — You can reduce your chances of getting syphilis by:

  • Using a latex condom every time you have sex
  • Avoiding sex when you or your partner has any symptoms that could be caused by an infection
  • Not having sex