Sexually transmitted infections

protecting yourself

Having sex without contraception means there's a chance you could catch an STI (sometimes called a Sexually Transmitted Disease, or STD). Even if you are completely healthy, the person you're having sex with might not be.

Condoms help stop infections being spread during sex. And it's really easy to get them for free at sexual health clinics. You can use these with other contraception to stop you getting pregnant.

If you've had sex without using a condom, it's important to get a sexual health test. This means a professional can test if you have an STI and give you treatment if you need it. Find out about sexual health tests.

How to protect yourself from an STI:

always use contraception
you can get free condoms at GP surgeries and sexual health clinics
get advice from a Brook centre.

You can visit your doctor or GUM clinic if you're worried you might have an STI or come into sexual contact who has one.

types of infections

Chlamydia

Chlamydia often doesn't have any symptoms. This means that people can be infected without knowing it. They can easily pass it on to others without realising. If you do get symptoms, they can be:

a stinging sensation when you wee (urinate)
discharge from the penis, vagina or anus
women may experience some pain during sex or bleeding between periods

If left untreated, chlamydia can turn into more serious infections of the pelvis in women and infection of the testicles in men. It can be easily identified by a swab or urine test and treated with antibiotics.

Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is another STI that often doesn't have symptoms. However, women can find weeing painful, can experience pain during sex or may find they have a really unpleasant-smelling, yellowish-green discharge.

Men with a gonorrhoea infection can experience painful testicles and yellowish-coloured discharge coming from the penis. Or from the anus, if the infection has been passed on through anal sex. Gonorrhoea can be easily identified by a swab or urine (wee) test and treated with antibiotics.

Syphilis

Syphilis is an STI that can be passed on through oral sex as well as sexual contact. Often people don't have any symptoms, but the common ones are:

early signs
a chancre (painless ulcer)
later signs
a rash which can affect any part of the body.

If left for a long time, syphilis can affect other parts of the body. But it can be treated with antibiotics and is diagnosed with a blood test.

Genital warts

Genital warts can be passed on from skin-to-skin contact during vaginal, anal or oral sex. The symptoms are the warts themselves – they may look like warts you get on your fingers or hands, or they may look flat and hard. They can spread and get bigger. So if you think you might have warts, it’s a good idea to get them treated as soon as you can.

Treatment comes in the form of creams, liquids or, depending on their size, freezing them or even surgery. Genital warts can be treated successfully but, because they’re caused by a virus, symptoms can appear again when you’re run down or ill.

Genital herpes

Genital herpes is a virus that is passed on from sexual intercourse, oral sex or skin-to-skin contact. It is the same virus that causes cold sores. It can affect your genitals, anus or mouth. If you’re infected, you may feel a tingling or itching feeling around your genitals, anus or mouth. Then you’ll notice small blisters, which burst and leave painful sores.

Genital herpes can be treated successfully, but can’t be cured. So once you have the virus in your body, you may notice symptoms again when you’re run down (a bit like cold sores).

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hiv: what you need to know

HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system and can be passed on through unprotected sex. HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

If someone has HIV, they may experience symptoms including a fever, rash and severe sore throat all at once. This can occur anywhere from 10 days to 4 weeks after being infected.

How do you get HIV?

HIV can be passed on when infected bodily fluid, such as blood or semen, is passed into an uninfected person.

Semen is the liquid that carries sperm and is released from a penis during sex. Semen can be infected with HIV when someone is HIV positive, meaning they're carrying the virus.

Who can get HIV?

HIV can affect or infect anyone, whether they're gay or straight, male or female, black or white, young or old. Anyone is at risk if they have unprotected sex or inject drugs.

How do you know if you're HIV positive?

People who are HIV positive can look and feel healthy for years. It can take as many as 10 to 15 years for HIV to destroy the body's immune system. The only way of knowing is by having a blood test to check for the virus.

How can I protect myself from HIV?

use a condom when you have sex; condoms also offer some protection against other STIs and pregnancy
people who inject themselves with medicine or drugs should never share needles

What's the difference between HIV and AIDS?

HIV is the virus that actually attacks the immune system. This is what you're tested for.

AIDS (which stands for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is when HIV has developed to the point where the body is no longer able to defend itself against infections and viruses.

There's no test for AIDS. A doctor will diagnose AIDS after taking a number of different factors into account.

Can HIV be cured?

At present, there's no cure for HIV. However, anti-HIV medicines called antiretrovirals are available. Antiretrovirals are designed to suppress the levels of HIV in the body and stop it from damaging the immune system. People who are infected with HIV and are taking antiretroviral medication can lead virtually normal lives.

If you're having sex, using condoms is the best way to protect yourself.

If you're worried about HIV, you can contact us about your worries. You can also learn more about HIV infection from the HIV Aware website or the Terrence Higgins Trust.

You can...
Get HIV during unprotected sex – for example, if you have sex without using a condom and your partner is already infected. HIV infection can also be passed between drug users who inject and share needles.

You can't...
Get HIV by things such as coughing, sneezing, kissing, sharing a toilet seat, swimming pools, sweat or tears.

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what to do if you think you have an sti

If you're worried that you might have an STI, you can go to your doctor, nurse, family-planning clinic, or your nearest sexual-health clinic (also known as a GUM Clinic). They'll be able to check for any infections and offer you treatment.

It can be embarrassing talking to a doctor, but we have advice that can help with those difficult conversations.

And remember, you can always talk to a counsellor about what's going on for you. They're there to listen and support you, never to judge.

Visiting your doctor

Dr Ranj answers your questions about seeing a doctor.

Other sites that can help:

The Mix for advice and information on safer sex
Brook for free, confidential advice
Family Planning Association offers detailed Q&As
NHS for a guide to sexual health
Terrence Higgins Trust for info on STIs and advice on HIV
HIV Aware for myths and facts about HIV