STD Symptoms, Risk Factors & Tests
STD symptoms can be difficult to spot so it’s important for anyone who is sexually active to have a good understanding of what they are and what they could mean
The only way to be sure about whether or not you have an STD is to Get Tested.
Some of the most common STDs symptoms in females may include:
- Itchiness
- Lumps and bumps
- Changes in vaginal discharge
- Pain in the affected area
Some of the most common STD symptoms in males may include:
- Unusual discharge from the penis
- Lumps or bumps on the genital area
- Sores or ulcers on the genital area
- Burning or pain during urination
- Pain in the abdomen
- Pain during sex
- Pain in the testicles
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The STD symptoms you may be experiencing, depend on the type of sexually transmitted disease you have contracted.
Sexually transmitted diseases can be broken into three groups.
- Bacterial
- Viral
- Parasitic
STD symptoms can be characteristic of each group. So it’s helpful to know which category each STD is broken into to begin with.
Bacterial STDs include:
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Syphilis
- Mycoplasma
- Bacterial vaginosis
Viral STDs include:
- HIV
- Herpes (1& 2)
- Human papillomavirus (HPV)
- Hepatitis B
Parasitic STDs include:
- Trichomoniasis
- Ureaplasma
STD Symptoms | Types of STDs
STD symptoms across bacterial, viral and parasitic sexually transmitted diseases can be similar in nature, though this is not always the case, so the best thing you can do is learn about the symptoms of each type of STD. If the signs and symptoms sound familiar to you, it’s time to get tested.
Let’s dive in!
Chlamydia
The symptoms of chlamydia in males and females may include:
- Pain during urination
- Pain in the abdomen
- Pain during sex
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
- Pain in the testicles (males)
- Discharge from the penis (males)
- Pain in the rectum (males)
- Discharge from the rectum (males)
- Spotting (bleeding) between periods (females)
- Bleeding after sex (females)
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Gonorrhea
The symptoms of gonorrhea in males and females may include:
- Pain in the lower abdomen
- Painful urination
- A sore throat
- An increased need to urinate
- White, beige or green discharge from the vagina or penis
- Heavier periods (females)
- Spotting between periods (females)
- Swollen testicles (males)
- Pain in the testicles (males)
- Redness and/or swelling at the opening of the penis (males)
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Syphilis
The symptoms of syphilis depend on the stage of the syphilis you are experiencing. Syphilis can be broken into primary, secondary, latent and tertiary stages.
The symptoms of syphilis in males and females may include:
Primary
- The development of a chancre, known as a sore (this will be round and firm to the touch). Usually this chancre will be painless.
Secondary
- A rash covering the whole body, starting at the hands and feet
- Headaches
- Fever
- Lumps on the genitals (female)
Latent
- The Latent period refers to the 12 month period following initial infection, usually there are no symptoms during the latent stage.
Tertiary
- Tertiary syphilis often occurs in the years following infection. If the condition has not been diagnosed, it can affect the brain, nerves, eyes, heart, blood vessels, liver, bones and joints.
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Mycoplasma
The symptoms of mycoplasma in males and females may include:
- Pain in the genitals
- Abdominal pain
- More frequent urination pain during intercourse
- A burning sensation while urinating
- Discharge from the vagina (females)
- Vaginal bleeding (females)
- Pain during sex or ejaculation (males)
- Discharge from the penis (males)
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Bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis is a condition which only affects women, it is a type of vaginal inflammation caused by the overgrowth of bacteria naturally found in the vagina, which upsets the natural balance.
The symptoms of bacterial vaginosis in females may include:
- Thin, grey, white or green vaginal discharge
- Itching in the vagina
- A burning sensation during urination
- Foul-smelling “fishy” vaginal odour
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HIV
The symptoms of HIV in males and females may include:
- Muscle aches or pains
- Sore throat and/or swollen glands
- Painful mouth sores
- Fever
- Headache
- Body rash
- Unexplained fatigue
- Headaches and/or difficulty concentrating
- Lymph nodes swelling
- Pneumonia
- Muscle and/or joints pain
- Thicker nails
- Vaginal infections, most commonly yeast and bacterial vaginosis (females)
- Irregular periods (females)
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Herpes (1& 2)
The symptoms of herpes 1 & 2 in males and females may include:
- Small bumps on the genital area, sometimes appearing as a cluster of blisters
- Blisters that appear as a cluster on or around the mouth
- Ulcers around the genital or mouth
- Sores on the buttocks, anus, thighs or mouth
- Small bumps on the vagina, anus or mouth
- Burning, itching or pain at the point of sexual contact
- Pain in your lower back, buttocks and/or legs
- Ulcers on the vagina or anus which make urination painful (females)
- Scabs on the vagina or anus (females)
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Human papillomavirus (HPV)
The symptoms of human papillomavirus (HPV) in males and females may include:
- Warts on the penis, scrotum, anus or groin (males)
- Irregular skin changes on the vagina, cervix or anus (females)
- Warts which may appear as lumps or bumps on the vagina, cervix or anus (females)
- Warts which may appear as lumps on the back of the throat (females)
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Hepatitis B
The symptoms of hepatitis B in males and females may include:
- Pain in the abdomen
- Fever
- A change in appetite
- Darker urine
- Joint pain
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Fatigue or weakness
- Yellowing of the skin and/or eyes (jaundice)
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Trichomoniasis
The symptoms of trichomoniasis in males and females may include:
- Itching or irritation of the anus
- Unusual lumps or bumps around the genitals and/or anus
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Itching and/or a burning sensation inside the penis (males)
- Burning after urination (males)
- Burning after ejaculation (males)
- Unusual discharge from the penis (males)
- Itching and/or a burning sensation inside the vagina (females)
- Redness inside the vagina (females)
- Pain during sex (females)
- Irregular vaginal discharge (females)
- A fishy smell coming from the vagina (females)
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Ureaplasma
The symptoms of ureaplasma in males and females may include:
- Painful urination
- Pain in the abdomen
- Pain during sex
- Unusual discharge from the tip of the penis
- Irregular vaginal discharge
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What Is an STD?
STD Stands for Sexually Transmitted Disease and is defined as “an infectious disease that spreads from person to person during sexual contact.”, this is the most-commonly used term, to describe those infections and medical conditions which their primary mode of transmission between humans is via sexual contact, including vaginal intercourse, as well as oral, anal sex, and skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. Among these, we can find diseases such as syphilis, trichomoniasis, and HIV. Please note that, some diseases and conditions may vary in the likelihood of their transmission depending on the type of sexual activity. Additionally, the term STI Stands for Sexually Transmitted Infection and is a terminology used commonly as a synonym of STD as well.
Why Get Tested for STDs?
With over 20 million new infections of STD (sexually transmitted diseases) every year, it’s no surprise that statistically one in two sexually Americans will contract an STD by age 25. More alarmingly, over 65 million Americans have an incurable form of STD. Diagnosis and treatment are of great importance because letting such a disease go unchecked can lead to significant health issues down the road, including:
Damage to Body Tissue and Organs – The infection caused by STDs may lead in some cases to permanent damage to body tissue and organs, including mouth, throat, anus, and even the eyes, where it will eventually result in severe loss of eyesight and even blindness.
Infertility – In most cases, untreated STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea, are relevant causes of both Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility. Testing for these STDs is of great importance, as PID is known to be a “silent” infection, developing in (~20%) of STDs and leading to permanent damage of the Fallopian tube and other surrounding tissues, which for instance cause infertility in women.
Malignant Cancer – Evidence demonstrates STD/STIs increase your risk of several cancer such as cervical, penile cancers, as well as other parts of the body (anus, mouth, throat) both in males and females.
So, with this in mind, it’s important to understand what an STD is and isn’t, and how you should act if you suspect you have an STD or are even just sexually active.
Should I get tested for STDs?
It is well known that certain activities are specially considered risk factors for STDs: Needle sharing and drug Use, men having sex with men, young age, etc. Besides this, any person who may had any sexual activity in the past, or which has sex activities with multiple sex partners (+1 person during lifetime or in the last 12 months) is at risk of having contracted an STD, additionally, this risk will increase depending on the number of sex activities.
The only 100% guaranteed methods of preventing any STD or STI are either not having any kind of sexual contact or having it inside a monogamous and faithful relationship with a non-infected person (a person who has received a negative result from a high sensitivity test after the window time has passed). Otherwise, if you are outside one of these two groups, please consider you possess a considerable risk of developing or having contracted an STD. In this case, receiving a test can be the best thing to do.
How to get tested for STDs?
STDs should always be tested by a trained medical professional. The tests themselves involve the acquiring of your blood, urine or saliva sample, which will then be tested using an FDA-approved STD test. For certain types of STDs, a doctor may request a swab from the inside of your mouth, genitals (urethra for men and cervix for women), or of a discharge from sores (if present). In certain cases, the tests can be carried at the clinic, however in most cases the samples will need to be sent to a lab for more advanced and comprehensive testing.
Where to Get Tested for STDs?
These days, testing for STDs or STIs is hardly an issue, as the rise of privately-owned STD testing centers and services has created new standards and practices that make testing private, affordable, fast and reliable. Generally, these private STD testing services will send a discreetly packaged home kit to your doorstep. This package will include all the different tests you’ve ordered, along with simple-to-follow instructions on how to perform each test. At the same time, it’s important to remember that some tests, namely those that require a larger blood samples, will require you to physically visit the lab or clinic – but don’t worry, today’s testing services employ thousands of private testing locations across the country.
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Do I Have an STD or an STI?
Unfortunately, in many cases the STD or STI may not present any symptoms at all, for this reason, and with common STDs leaving you vulnerable to some of the harshest long-term complications, including infertility, organ damage and even cancer, testing is usually the best option to properly know if you have or not a STD.
Recent evidence shows that asymptomatic, or symptomless STDs, are far-more common than those that do present symptoms, especially in the case of women. In fact, most people who get infected with a disease can never even know they contracted an STD or develop symptoms only years after. i.e. Chlamydia, (75% of women and 50% of men never present any symptoms) Gonorrhea (only 50% of women and 10% of men present symptoms), etc. It is in this time-window or asymptomatic period that they may inadvertently spread the disease to another person through sexual activities.
Private STD Testing
There’s no way around it – one of the most critical points of concern, especially when it comes to STDs, is privacy. Perhaps more so than other medical conditions, STD and STI testing that isn’t handled responsibly could reveal private information about us that we don’t want to share, as it could have unforeseen consequences.
Don’t Let Privacy Concerns Stop You from Getting Tested!
There are too many cases in which a person has decided to skip STD testing out of privacy concerns, even when suspecting exposure. The good news is that you have nothing to worry about in terms of privacy. You have full control over the information you share, if you’re doing it the right way.
Good News for Privacy
Private STD testing services are aware of this concern and have gone to great lengths to make sure privacy is not an issue. For example, you’ll notice that these services employ highly capable safeguards on their website, including industry-standard encryption protocols. Many companies will also allow you use an entirely unidentifiable digital code that you can use instead of your name.
Reputable and reliable STD testing services are fully compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability ACT (HIPAA). This act ensures that your private information is protected from any unsolicited access and gives you the right to decide who can access your private health data.
How Long Does An STD Test Take?
From start to finish, your STD testing journey could easily take more than a week; however, the majority of this time is not going to be taken up by the actual testing process. Once the testing kit has been delivered, you can collect your samples and send them back on the same day. Once the testing facility has received your samples, they can complete your tests in 1-3 days.
Most of the time is going to be spent on the kit being shipped to you and then subsequently your samples being shipped to the testing facility. For many companies, this shipping can take 2-5 days (both ways) unless you pay for express shipping.
Will STD Testing Companies Bill My Insurance?
The answer to this question will vary from company to company but generally speaking, most of the biggest names in the industry will not bill your insurance for their at-home STD tests. On one hand, this means that you will have to pay for everything out of pocket. On the other hand, this also means that your STD testing is extremely private because it is “off the books”.
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FAQ
How long does it take for the symptoms of an STD to appear?
STD symptoms usually take 1-3 weeks to appear after an unprotected sexual encounter, however they can appear as soon as four days, or on the other side of the scale, months or years.
Is it safer to use two condoms instead of one?
It is not safer to use two condoms instead of one, infact wearing two condoms can lead to friction which may cause condom breakage. It’s always a good idea to be well-stocked up with condoms so you have a spare if the first one breaks, but you should not wear two at a time.
Can I have an STD without knowing it?
The tricky thing about STDs is that you don’t always know that you have one. It’s very possible to have certain STDs and remain symptom-free or have mild symptoms you mistake for another illness. The worst part is, you can still spread the disease even if you aren’t symptomatic. You can have chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, and HPV without showing immediate symptoms.
How do I know if I have an STD?
Since not everyone will experience symptoms, the only way to make sure you are not infected is to receive a negative result from an accurate test. If you experience sores, itching, rash or other symptoms like swelling or pain in the genitals it is advised that you seek testing right away. Many people who are sexually active outside a monogamous relationship opt to have preventative testing done once or more per year on a routine basis just to be on the safe side. Get tested.
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What can I do to avoid getting an STD?
- Always use a condom. Condoms lessen the risk of infection for all STDs. You can still get certain STDs, like herpes or HPV, from contact with your partner’s skin even when using a condom.
- Limit sexual partners if possible and make sure that you have open honest conversations with your partners regarding sexual history and sexually transmitted diseases.
- Get tested at least once a year.