The sun is shining and summer feels around the corner. It’s time to let loose and have some fun! But before you book that beach vacation and find a summer love, here are some tips to protect yourself from not-so-fun STIs. This April it’s STI Awareness Month and we are talking about sexual health.
In the U.S., STIs are a serious issue with millions of new infections each year, half of which occur among young adults 15-24. Although they may seem like just an inconvenience, STIs can cause lifelong health problems. That's why it's important to learn how to protect yourself to stay healthy.
Follow along as we review common STIs and how to prevent them so you can take charge of your sexual wellness.
What is the difference between an STD and an STI?
Before we get this party started, it’s worth mentioning the difference between STDs and STIs.
Sexually transmitted diseases or STDs refer to illnesses caused by infections spread through sexual contact (oral, anal, and vaginal sex). This term implies that infected people experience symptoms or dysfunction in their health.
Whereas, sexually transmitted infections or STIs is a more all-encompassing term that refers to all infections spread sexually, including those that may not cause symptoms.
Many organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) have begun shifting language to use the term STI as it is more precise and less stigmatizing. Despite this push to change terminology, many still use the term STD or use the terms interchangeably. For this blog post, we will use the term STI.
What are the most common STIs?
Although there are 30+ germs we can pass through sex, eight cause the most infections.
The most common STIs include:
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Syphilis
Trichomoniasis
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
Genital Herpes
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Hepatitis B
Most people with these infections will not experience symptoms and may not know they are infected. However, even without symptoms, these infections can still lead to health problems including infertility and cancer, for example. For pregnant people, STIs can also cause permanent health issues for unborn babies.
If you do experience symptoms, they can vary depending on your sex and which infection you have. A list of these symptoms appears below.
Chlamydia: Females may experience abnormal vaginal discharge and burning with peeing. If they have an infection in the throat or rectum, they may have pain in these areas or bleeding. Males may have penile discharge or swollen testicles.
Gonorrhea: Similar to chlamydia. Females may also experience vaginal bleeding between periods.
Syphilis: Symptoms depend on the stage of the illness. Initially, infection will cause firm and painless sores that last 3-6 weeks. These sores may present on genitalia, in the anus, or mouth. People may experience rashes, fevers, and other issues as the disease progresses. If it remains untreated, permanent organ damage can occur.
Trichomoniasis: May cause itching, burning, redness of genitals, pain when peeing, and colored vaginal discharge with a fish-like odor. Males may have penile discharge.
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV): May cause growth of genital warts or cancers of the cervix, rectum, and throat.
Herpes: May cause blisters on or around the genitals, rectum, or mouth along with flu-like symptoms.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV): Initially, this infection causes flu-like symptoms which go away within a few weeks. After this, many may not feel sick while the virus slowly destroys their immune system. Eventually, this loss of immunity can lead to severe infections caused by bacteria and viruses that are normally harmless.
Hepatitis B: May damage the liver which can cause stomach pain, dark urine, fever, joint aches, nausea and vomiting, and yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Is there treatment for STIs?
Of these infections, many are completely curable with antibiotics or preventable with vaccines. Specifically, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and trichomoniasis can all be cured with antibiotics. There are also vaccines for HPV and hepatitis B to prevent these illnesses altogether.
Other infections like herpes and HIV cannot be cured and are permanent. That said, they can be managed quite well with antiviral medications.
As discussed, even if you don’t have symptoms, you should get tested and treated as these infections can lead to permanent health issues.
If you're given antibiotics, take all the pills prescribed to clear up the infection. Even if you start feeling better before you’re done, finish them! Otherwise, the infection may not fully resolve. Partners should also receive treatment to prevent reinfections with the same STIs.
How do you prevent STIs?
Treatment is an important component to address this health issue. Nevertheless, other strategies that focus on prevention can stop it from happening in the first place.
Prevention Strategies include:
Testing: You and your partners should test regularly. At-risk groups like adolescents and young adults, men who have sex with men, pregnant people, and racial and ethnic minorities may need to get tested frequently.
Talk with your provider about what STI tests you should have done and how frequently you should be tested.
Condom Use: The use of condoms and dental dam barriers each time you have sex can prevent the spread of many STIs. Use condoms the WHOLE time you are having sex from start to finish.
Limiting Partners: Try to limit sex partners to reduce risk. Having sex with multiple partners increases the risk of getting STIs.
Vaccination: Receiving an HPV and Hepatitis B vaccine can reduce the risk of HPV and hepatitis B infections.
HPV vaccines are recommended for males and females starting at ages 11-12. If you are not vaccinated as a teenager, the HPV vaccine may be given to those up to age 26.
In addition to following these tips, discuss expectations with potential partners before having sex to make sure you’re on the same page. For example, you may agree to get tested or use condoms together. This, too, can help prevent STIs and maintain healthy sexual relationships.
Now that you’ve learned how to practice safe sex, grab some condoms and spread the word to stop the spread!
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, February 20). About chlamydia. https://www.cdc.gov/chlamydia/about/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, December 8). About syphilis. https://www.cdc.gov/syphilis/about/?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, December 13). About trichomoniasis. https://www.cdc.gov/trichomoniasis/about/?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, April 3). How to use a condom. https://www.cdc.gov/condom-use/resources/external.html
Planned Parenthood. (2022, April 1). STI vs STD—what’s the difference? https://www.plannedparenthood.org/blog/sti-vs-std-whats-the-difference
World Health Organization. (2024, May 21). Sexually transmitted infections (STIs). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/sexually-transmitted-infections-(stis)
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