STI Symptons - What to do?

ANYONE who has sex can have a sexually transmitted infection - it isn't true that only people who are dirty or sleep around get infections.

Discomfort or soreness when you urinate, or an unusual or unpleasant discharge from your vagina can be signs of a sexually transmitted infection.

Many infections, including HIV, often have no signs so the infection can stay hidden for many years. This is true for men and women.

Even if you don't have any symptoms a test can be done to see if you have an infection. If you think you may be at risk, then go to a genitourinary medicine (GUM) or sexual health clinic or see your GP.

All treatment and advice at GUM clinics is free and confidential. They won't tell anyone you've been, not even your GP.

10% of sexually-active teenagers in the UK have Chlamydia (cla-mi-dee-ah) often there are no symptoms so you don't know you have the infection.

Chlamydia can make you infertile, which you may only find out when you try to have children in later life. Like many infections, if caught early it can be completely cured.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is sometimes called the silent disease because of the lack of specific symptoms. You may have a few general symptoms such as pelvic pain or cystitis (in women) or swollen testicles (in men), but it is hard to spot otherwise.

Genital Herpes

Symptoms of genital herpes usually appear within a week after contact with an infected person. A red, painful rash appears on the genitals or nearby. The rash soon becomes blisters, and the blisters burst, releasing fluid.

Genital Warts

Genital warts can take a very long time to appear. Months or even years can pass between the time a person is infected with the virus and the time noticeable warts can be seen in the genital area. In women they can also appear inside the vagina and on the cervix, where you cannot see them.

Syphilis

In syphilis an ulcer or ulcers appears where the bacteria first entered the body, typically appear 2-3 weeks after infection. The ulcers or sores are usually on the genitals, but can also appear around the mouth and anus.

Gonorrhoea

Symptoms of gonorrhoea in both men and women usually appear between one and fourteen days after infection. However, up to half of all women (and 10% of men) who contract gonorrhoea do not experience any symptoms. Symptoms can include green or yellow discharge (from the vagina or penis), irritation or discharge from the anus, and abdominal or testicular pain.

Thrush

The redness, irritation and discharge associated with thrush usually appear 2-5 days after exposure.

Diagnosis

GPs link opens in a new window or GUM clinics will usually carry out a simple and painless swab test, which will then be sent to a laboratory for testing. A swab test involves a doctor taking a sample of secretion from the vagina or penis using a piece of absorbent material attached to a rod (such as a cotton bud). Swab tests can now be carried out routinely during cervical smear tests. In some cases this is not necessary as the symptoms will be conclusive, such as with pubic lice.

Some S.T.I's are difficult to diagnose as they present few or no recognisable symptoms. An example of this is Chlamydia, which, if left untreated, can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Because of this, the National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV is piloting a Chlamydia screening programme, available at selected GUM clinics throughout the country.

Some S.T.I's, such as HIV, will need to be diagnosed through a blood test. Blood tests can be carried out either by a GP link opens in a new window or GUM clinic and the results are completely confidential.