STIs are infections that get passed from person to person through sexual contact. They spread through vaginal, oral, and anal sex. Some STIs, like herpes and HPV, can spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact without sex.

Some STIs can pass from an expectant parent to their unborn baby. It can happen during pregnancy or while giving birth.

STIs are very common and affect both men and women. The CDC estimates that about 20% of the U.S. population has an STI at any given time. Many STIs don’t have symptoms, especially in the early stages, so regular testing is crucial if you’re sexually active.

Our doctors treat bacterial STIs with antibiotics. There’s no cure for viral STIs, but we can help you manage your symptoms.

Risk factors for STIs include:

• Having sex with someone with an STI
• Having more than one sex partner
• Having a partner who has had multiple sex partners
• Having a history of STIs
• Injecting drugs or having a partner who injects drugs

There are more than 20 different types of STIs. STI symptoms vary depending on what kind you have. 

Some of the most common STIs are:

• Chlamydia: The most common STI in the U.S., chlamydia is caused by bacteria. For women, the most common site for infection is the cervix (opening of the uterus). Chlamydia symptoms in women include painful urination, discharge from the vagina or urethra, and vaginal or rectal bleeding. For men, symptoms can include painful or burning urination, discharge from the penis, and testicular pain or swelling. Chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease in women (when the infection spreads to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and abdomen) and can lead to infertility in both men and women if left untreated.
• Gonorrhea: The second most common STI in the U.S., it’s also caused by bacteria. If left untreated, gonorrhea can also lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and affect your ability to get pregnant. The symptoms can be mild, and people often mistake them for a urinary tract or vaginal infection.
• Genital herpes: This viral infection can cause painful sores and flu-like symptoms. After the first infection, the virus travels to the nerve ganglia near the spinal cord until triggered. Antiviral medicine during an outbreak can make it shorter and less severe.
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection: HIV is the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It gets passed from person to person through infected bodily fluids like semen, blood, or vaginal secretions. There’s no cure for HIV, but starting antiviral medicine early can help you manage the virus.
• Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection: HPV spreads through sexual contact. Some strains cause genital warts, while others have no symptoms. Some strains cause cancer, most commonly of the cervix.
• Syphilis: Caused by bacteria, syphilis begins with painless genital sores. Then, it may appear as a rash on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands or warts on the vulva. Left untreated, it can lead to serious illness, causing heart problems, brain damage, blindness, and even death.

Because many STIs have no symptoms in the early stages, it’s key to get tested regularly if you’re sexually active. The earlier you get treatment for an STI, the lower the risk of complications. 

Treatment for STIs depends on what’s causing the infection.

Infections caused by bacteria

Antibiotics can cure STIs caused by bacteria, like gonorrhea and chlamydia. Treatment for gonorrhea consists of an antibiotic shot followed by antibiotic pills. Doctors treat chlamydia with antibiotic pills. 

It’s important to have follow-up testing to make sure the infection is gone. Your sex partners within the past 60 days should also get treated.

Infections caused by viruses

There’s no cure for STIs caused by viruses, such as HIV, HPV, and genital herpes. However, antiviral medicines can help manage your symptoms. They can also help lower your risk of spreading the disease.

You can prevent infection with many HPV strains by getting the HPV vaccine. For other STIs, the only sure way to prevent infection is not to have sex. 

You can lower your risk of getting an STI by:

• Getting tested for STIs regularly
• Using a condom every time you have sex
• Reducing your number of sex partners
• Getting the HPV vaccination
• Taking medication (pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP) to help prevent HIV infection