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Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pass from person to person through sexual contact. Left untreated, an STI can become a sexually transmitted disease (STD).
How they spread
- Usually during vaginal, oral or anal sex.
- Sometimes through other sexual contact involving the penis, vagina, mouth or anus — some STIs, such as herpes and HPV, spread by skin-to-skin contact.
- To a baby during pregnancy or childbirth, where they can cause serious health problems.
- In other ways for some STIs: breastfeeding, blood transfusions or shared needles.
Types and causes
There are more than 20 types, among them chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, HIV, HPV, pubic lice, syphilis and trichomoniasis. They are caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites. Most affect both men and women, but the health problems are often more severe for women.
Symptoms — or none
STIs often cause no symptoms, or only mild ones — so you can be infected without knowing, and still be harmed and pass it on. When there are symptoms, they may include:
- unusual discharge from the penis or vagina;
- sores or warts on the genitals;
- painful or frequent urination;
- itching and redness in the genital area;
- blisters or sores in or around the mouth;
- abnormal vaginal odor;
- anal itching, soreness or bleeding;
- abdominal pain;
- fever.
Testing and diagnosis
If you are sexually active, ask your health care provider about your risk and whether you should be tested — all the more because many STIs cause no symptoms. Some are found in a physical exam; others by testing: looking under a microscope at a sore or at fluid swabbed from the vagina, penis or anus, or through blood tests.
Treatment
| Cause | Treatment |
|---|---|
| Bacteria or parasites | antibiotics can treat them |
| Viruses | no cure, but antiviral medicines often ease symptoms and lower the chance of passing the infection on |
Getting treated matters: some STIs cause serious health problems if left alone. Ask your provider how long to avoid sex after treatment, so you and your partner don't pass the infection back and forth.
Prevention
The surest protection is not having sex. If you do have sex, you can lower your risk by:
- Both getting tested before having sex.
- Using a condom every time. Used correctly, latex condoms greatly reduce — but do not remove — the risk. If either of you is allergic to latex, use polyurethane condoms.
- Having fewer partners. Consider mutual monogamy: you each agree to have sex only with the other — after you have both been tested.
- Getting vaccinated against HPV and hepatitis B.
Sources
Based on "Sexually Transmitted Infections," MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine; a work of the United States government in the public domain.
Лицензия: CC0 1.0 (общественное достояние) · По материалам medlineplus.gov
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