Sexually transmitted infections

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. Chlamydia can live in the penis, vagina, mouth and anus so it is important to remember to tell the clinic if you have oral or anal sex.

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 physically female people and infection of the testicles in physically male people. It can be easily identified by a swab or urine test and treated with antibiotics.

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 the symptoms can appear again when you’re run down or ill.

Sexual health clinics don’t test for warts, and will diagnose it by doing an examination. Sometimes they may do a swab if they are unsure and want to check for other infections.

Genital warts that you can see aren’t dangerous, although they can be uncomfortable and can sometimes make people feel self-conscious. Lots of people can have one of the viruses that causes warts and never get any symptoms.

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

Men or physically male people with a gonorrhoea infection can experience painful testicles and yellowish-coloured discharge coming from the penis.

Someone may also have discharge from their anus if they’ve gotten the infection from anal sex.

Gonorrhoea can also live in the mouth so it is important to remember to tell the clinic if you have oral sex.

If left untreated, gonorrhoea can turn into more serious infections of the pelvis in physically female people and infection of the testicles in physically male people. Gonorrhoea can be easily identified by a swab or urine (wee) test and treated with antibiotics.

People with syphilis often don’t have any symptoms, but the common ones are:

• a small, painless ulcer, called a chancre early on which can be around the mouth, genitals or anus, depending on how it was passed on. The ulcer will go away by itself, but you are still infected
• a rash somewhere on your body later on, sometimes taking several months before appearing.

Syphilis can be passed on through vaginal, oral and anal sex, as well as through contact with someone’s genitals if they have a chancre.

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 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, and 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. It is tested by swabbing the blister or sore.

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 or ill.

Lots of people can have genital or oral herpes without ever knowing. When you don’t have the blisters or sores it is very hard to pass it on to your partner, but it can still happen. If you are only having sex with one person and catch herpes for the first time, it doesn’t mean your partner has cheated on you. It could be they’ve had it for a long time without realising. It can be helpful for you and your partner to speak to a nurse or doctor together at the sexual health clinic if you are worried.

Hepatitis B is a virus that is passed on through sexual intercourse and blood to blood contact, including sharing needles and straws for drugs.

It is a virus that attacks the liver and can possibly cause long term damage.

You can be tested for Hepatitis B with a blood test. Symptoms of Hepatitis B usually involve getting flu-like symptoms a few weeks after catching it, it can also cause jaundice where your skin and eyes turn a yellowish colour. These symptoms will go away after a short time, and you may not experience any other symptoms for many years.

A lot of people who catch Hepatitis B will naturally get rid of the virus by themselves as their immune system is strong enough to deal with it. Very young people, older people and people with weak immune systems have a lower chance of naturally clearing it.

Vaccinations against Hepatitis B are available, and usually involve 3-4 injections over a number of weeks. Hepatitis B is more common amongst people from certain parts of the world, those who have anal sex and those who share drug needles and straws. If you think you may need the Hepatitis B vaccination speak to your sexual health clinic for more information.