Sexual & Reproductive Health

Bacterial STIs

Syphilis:
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can be prevented and cured. However, if left untreated, it can lead to serious health problems.

Many people with syphilis may not have symptoms or may not notice them. If symptoms do appear they can take anywhere from three to 90 days. In the initial stage, painless sores may develop on the genitals, anus, or mouth.

Syphilis can be transmitted during oral, vaginal, and anal sex, as well as during pregnancy and through blood transfusion.

If a pregnant person has syphilis, it can result in stillbirth, newborn death, or babies born with syphilis (congenital syphilis).

Untreated or undiagnosed syphilis can cause long-term damage to the brain, heart, and other organs.

Chlamydia:
Chlamydia often doesn’t show any symptoms. If symptoms do appear, they usually take two to three weeks to show up, but they can also take up to six weeks. Symptoms may include unusual discharge from the vagina, penis, or anus, and painful urination.

Chlamydia is spread through vaginal, anal, and oral sex, and a mother can pass it to her baby during childbirth. It’s called the “silent disease” because over half of infected males and 70% of infected females don’t have symptoms and may not know they’re infected.

The only sure way to know if you have chlamydia is to get tested. It’s diagnosed with a urine sample or by swabbing the infected area and can be treated with antibiotics.

Gonorrhea:
Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection caused by bacteria. If left untreated, gonorrhea vaginal, oral, and anal sex. Fortunately, gonorrhea can be treated and cured with antibiotics.

Symptoms of gonorrhea often appear within two to seven days after infection. These symptoms may include discharge from the vagina, penis, or anus, as well as painful urination.

If left untreated, gonorrhea can harm the reproductive organs.

Viral STIs:

Hepatitis A (Hep A):
Hepatitis A (Hep A) impacts the liver and disrupts its normal functions. Most adults with Hep A experience some symptoms like fatigue and loss of appetite, which can take two to six weeks to show up.

Hep A can be transmitted sexually through oral contact with infected feces (poo). Fortunately, most people recover from Hep A without treatment, as their bodies can fight off the infection. A vaccine is available to prevent Hep A infection.

Hepatitis B (Hep B):
Hepatitis B (Hep B) affects the liver and can disrupt its normal functions. Hep B can be transmitted sexually through infected blood, semen (cum), and vaginal fluids. If untreated, it can lead to liver damage.

While most adults recover from Hep B without treatment, babies and some children may develop a chronic infection. There is a vaccine to prevent Hep B infection, and treatment can help keep the virus under control.

Hepatitis C (Hep C):
Hepatitis C (Hep C) affects the liver. Many people with Hep C don’t have symptoms at first and may have the virus for 20 to 30 years before symptoms show up. Hep C is passed through blood-to-blood contact, often from sharing needles or other drug equipment. It can also spread through sharing equipment for smoking or snorting drugs.

Hep C is not commonly spread through sex, but the risk is higher with certain factors like unprotected anal sex, having HIV, having other sexually transmitted infections, having sex where there is bleeding, having group sex, and using drugs during sex.

There is no vaccine for Hep C, but treatment can cure more than 95% of people with the virus. However, it is possible to get Hep C again after being cured if the virus enters the blood again.

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV):
Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) is one of the most common STIs. Most people with herpes don’t have symptoms, but if they do, they might feel tingling or burning on the skin or get sores/blisters in the genital area or on the mouth and lips (cold sores). Symptoms can show up two to 21 days after infection.

HSV-1 is usually around the mouth and lips (cold sores), but it can spread to the genitals through oral sex, causing sores there too. HSV-2 typically shows up on the genitals and spreads through genital-to-genital contact. People can pass HSV even when they don’t have outbreaks.

There is no vaccine or cure for herpes, but medication can help reduce the number and severity of outbreaks.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV):
HPV is a common virus that often has no symptoms. If symptoms do appear, they can take months or years to show up.

Some types of HPV can cause genital warts, while others can lead to cancers of the cervix, vagina, vulva, anus, penis, or throat. Most HPV infections go away on their own within two years.

There are vaccines to prevent HPV, and they are most effective when taken before a person becomes sexually active. However, vaccines can also protect people who are already sexually active because they might not have been exposed to all the types of HPV covered by the vaccines.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV):
HIV is a virus that weakens the body’s immune system, which is its natural defense against diseases. Some people may have flu-like symptoms when they first get HIV, but many others have no symptoms at all. It’s possible to live for many years without knowing you have HIV.

HIV can be passed through sex or sharing needles for injecting drugs. Having a sexually transmitted infection (STI) can increase the chances of passing HIV to sex partners and also make it more likely to get HIV.

There is no cure for HIV, but there is highly effective treatment that can reduce the amount of virus in the body and help people live long, healthy lives. This treatment also prevents passing HIV through sex. Without HIV treatment, the immune system becomes too weak to fight off serious illnesses.