Everything You Never Wanted To Know About STI's But Sort Of Should
by Rebekah Kuschmider
Warning: this article contains descriptions of illness and viruses.
Even in the current climate of sex positivity and baring it all on social media, there are a few sexual taboos that even the most candid amongst us are still afraid to touch.
Chief among them, STI’s.
Be honest. Have you ever heard a friend admit to having one? Have YOU ever admitted to having one?
Yet, by some estimates, nearly half of Americans have had an STI by the time they’re 25.
And since they’re so common, it’s worthwhile to learn about them. Condoms, dental dams, and abstinence help prevent them but there is always a chance you could get at STI despite precautions. Knowing the signs and symptoms for STIs will help you get treatment if you need it.
Though HIV is the biggest name in sexually transmitted infections, there is a whole universe of other infections out there, and you may not know much about them. So here’s a rundown of the most common STI’s, and what you need to know.
Warning: some of the links below click to images of sores. Please practice self-support.
Viruses
None of us ever want to hear the word “virus” for the rest of our lives. But a lot of the most common STIs are caused by viruses.
Here’s what you need to know about them.
1. Herpes: There are two types of herpes. Typically, herpes on your mouth is caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and the one below the belt is caused by the herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). The World Health Organization estimates that 2/3 of people under 50 have HSV-1 and 417 million people have HSV-2, so if you have it, you are far from alone.
Much of the time, herpes stays dormant, but people can have outbreaks once in a while, particularly when extremely stressed, and it can be easy to transmit.
Treatment: There are prescription medications to reduce the risk of transmitting herpes and diminish outbreaks.
You should avoid sexual contact during herpes outbreaks — including cold sores on your mouth. You can transmit the virus by kissing and it can go from mouth to genitals.
Real Talk: Herpes seems utterly terrifying because we were all scared shitless about it from our wildly alarmist sex Ed classes in school. It can be managed. It’s not life-threatening. 1 in 6 people have it. Condoms, hand washing, and avoiding sexual activity with a partner during an outbreak can reduce transmission risk. Talk about it. Normalize it.
2. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV): The CDC estimates that nearly 80 million Americans have HPV.
You get HPV if your vagina, mouth, anus, or penis touches another vagina, mouth, anus, or penis with HPV.
Most cases of HPV have no symptoms, though it can lead to genital or anal warts. But a few strains are linked to cancer, which is why it has such a bad rap. HPV-related cancers can show up on your cervix, mouth, throat, penis, or anus.
Treatment: If you get warts from HPV, your doctor can remove them. If HPV triggers cancer, you will need to get treatment from an oncologist.
Real Talk: HPV isn’t something you should lie awake worrying about, but it also isn’t something you should ignore. You can minimize your risk of getting it by using condoms or dental dams during sex.
As for the risk of HPV-related cancers, if you have a cervix, you can get tested for HPV at your annual gyno visit. And regular check-ups with a doctor or dentist are a good way to look for penile or oral cancers.
You can cut your risk of getting high-risk HPV strains by getting the HPV vaccine. It’s recommended for kids around age 11 or 12. Adults should talk to their doctor before getting it.
Bacterial STI’s
Bacterial STIs are just as common as viral ones, and they’re usually treatable with antibiotics. However, you can have a bacterial STI and have no symptoms, leading to treatment delays. The only way to be sure you don’t have a bacterial STI is to get tested for them if you think you’re at risk.
Here’s what else you need to know.
1. Chlamydia: Chlamydia is a bacteria that spreads via sexual contact, and 4 million Americans get it every year.
The symptoms of chlamydia are discharge from your penis or vagina, or a burning sensation when you pee. Not everyone has symptoms.
Treatment: Symptomatic chlamydia is easy to detect and treat. The test is a urine sample or swab of vaginal discharge. Antibiotics solve the issue in a week or so.
Real Talk: The bad news about chlamydia is that if you don’t have symptoms, you won’t know to get treated. That can lead to severe issues, including pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which is associated with infertility, higher miscarriage risk, and higher risk of ectopic pregnancy.
You can dramatically reduce your risk of chlamydia by using condoms and asking for routine testing for chlamydia when you get your annual pelvic exam.
2. Gonorrhea: Gonorrhea is surprisingly widespread — over a million cases are reported in the US every year — and gonorrhea can be passed through vaginal, anal, and oral sex. You can reduce your risk of gonorrhea by using condoms and dental dams.
Genital discharge and a burning sensation when you pee are the main symptoms.
Treatment: Gonorrhea can be treated with injectable antibiotics provided by a doctor.
Real Talk: Getting treatment for gonorrhea is critical, because this is a bacteria that can worsen if you don’t take care of it. In extreme cases, both men and women can end up infertile due to damage from gonorrhea, so get it checked out.
3. Syphilis: Syphilis is a complicated bacterial infection that starts out as a small sore called a chancre, followed by a rash.
When those heal, it might seem like the problem has solved itself. But unfortunately, it’s gone into a latent stage in your body, not doing anything and not causing any symptoms. Eventually, it reasserts itself to affect multiple organ systems, including your brain, and can eventually kill you.
And in case you think syphilis was something that only happened to medieval kings, over 100,000 Americans were diagnosed with it in 2018.
Condom use reduces the risk of syphilis, but only if the condom covers the area with active sores. If you think you have syphilis, don’t have sexual contact. Talk to your doctor about testing and treatment.
Treatment: If you know you have syphilis, you can get it treated with antibiotic injections. It can be detected through blood tests, even if you never notice symptoms.
Real Talk: The effects of tertiary syphilis are horrifying. The dark jokes about people going insane from untreated syphilis are based on truth. It can damage any organ in the human body, so detecting and treating it at the earliest stages is crucial.
STIs and Pregnancy
STIs are a particular concern during pregnancy because of how they might affect the baby. Here’s an overview of the ones to watch out for during pregnancy:
Syphilis: A baby infected with syphilis is at risk for developmental delays, seizures, or death. Syphilis has also led to stillbirths.
Gonorrhea: You can pass gonorrhea to your baby during delivery. Complications include blindness, joint infection, or a life-threatening blood infection in the baby.
Chlamydia: If you have chlamydia during pregnancy, it can lead to preterm labor. Your baby could get chlamydia in their eyes or lungs during delivery.
Herpes: You can transmit herpes to the baby during a vaginal birth. The complications from that are life-threatening to infants.
In many cases, doctors do STI screenings as part of routine pregnancy care. You can take antibiotics for bacterial STIs while pregnant to cut down on the risks for your baby. For herpes, your doctor will help you decided on a plan that may include anti-viral medications and possibly a c-section.
TL;DR
STIs are very common. Millions of people contract them every year. Obviously, it’s not something you want to put on your list of life goals, but don’t beat yourself up if you get an STI.
STIs aren’t some moral failing. We were all coerced into thinking about sex and STIs with so much shame attached to them. But it’s time to move away from that because it only serves to keep these conversations hushed, which helps no one.
The key is: get tested, and be 100% honest with any potential partner. If you don’t feel safe telling your partner, you can tell them anonymously. Sites like STD Check and Tell Your Partner allow you to send an alert to your partner that they should get tested.
Take care of yourself.
