If you have sex, whether vaginal, anal or oral, or any form of genital touching, you are at the risk of getting an STD or sexually transmitted disease. You are vulnerable to an STD, whether you are single or married, straight or gay. Hoping or thinking that your partner doesn’t suffer from an STD is not going to be enough protection because you have to know for sure to mitigate the risk. Yes, condoms can be effective in reducing the transmission of some STDs, but there is no method that’s completely foolproof. You also need to bear in mind that symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease are not going to be obvious all the time.
If you believe you have an STD or have been exposed to one, you should consult a doctor who has had STD training and can effectively diagnose the problem. Some sexually transmitted diseases can be identified easily and cured whereas others can be a bit more complicated and you need proper treatment for managing them. If an STD is left untreated even after an STD testing diagnoses a condition, you will be at risk of acquiring another STD such as HIV. Apart from using protection, you should also see the doctor regularly for screening purposes.
Discussed below are some of the STDs and their symptoms you should be aware of:
1. Chlamydia
This is a bacterial infection in the genital tract. Detecting chlamydia is difficult because there are no signs or symptoms in early-age infection. They typically occur two to three weeks later and they are usually passing and mild so you may overlook them. Vaginal discharge in women, penis discharge in men, and testicular pain in men, bleeding during intercourse in women, bleeding between periods, lower abdominal pain and painful urination are some symptoms.
2. Gonorrhea
Another bacterial infection of the genital tract, gonorrhea can also grow in your throat, mouth, anus and eyes. You will notice the first gonorrhea symptoms approximately 10 days after being exposed, but some people are infected for months before they exhibit any signs. Painful bowel movements, anal itching, burning sensation or pain during urination, bleeding between periods or heavy menstrual bleeding, cloudy, thick or bloody discharge from vagina or penis are some of the symptoms.
3. HIV
The Human Immunodeficiency virus interferes with the body’s ability of fighting off bacteria, viruses and fungi that cause illness. HIV can also lead to AIDS, which is a chronic and life-threatening disease. You initially have no symptoms when infected with HIV, but in two to six weeks, you develop a flu-like illness. Your symptoms will include fatigue, headache, fever, sore throat, rash and swollen lymph glands. As these signs disappear quickly, they are often mistaken for a viral infection. Late-stage HIV symptoms typically appear in 10 years or more and include persistent headaches, chronic diarrhea, unexplained fatigue, shaking chills or high fever, swelling of lymph nodes for longer than three months and soaking night sweats.
4. Hepatitis
Contagious viral infections that infect the liver are Hepatitis A, B and C. The last two are the most serious, but each of them lead to liver inflammation. While some people may have no symptoms, those who do report muscle or joint pain, loss of appetite, fatigue, itching, fever, yellowing of your skin or white of the eyes (jaundice), abdominal discomfort or pain, vomiting and nausea, dark urine or itching.
5. Genital Herpes
A type of Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV), genital herpes are highly contagious that enter the body through mucous membranes or small breaks in the skin. There are very mild or no signs or symptoms of genital herpes so they are very difficult to detect. When they do surface, they are in the form of small blisters, red bumps or open sores in the anal, genital and nearby areas, itching or pain around the buttocks, genital area and inner thighs. There can also be tenderness and pain in your genital area until the infection is dealt with.
6. Syphilis
A bacterial infection, syphilis affects your skin, genitals and mucous membranes, but it can also involve other parts of the body such as your heart and brain. The signs and symptoms include sores, rash, aching and soreness, enlarged lymph nodes, fever and fatigue.