Sexually transmitted diseases are infections that typically transmit between people through sexual contact. They are widespread throughout the world and can affect every sexually active person, regardless of gender, age or sexual orientation. They range in severity from lice to AIDS, which has killed millions of people.
Sexual contact is the primary method for the disease that causes the organisms to spread. There are more than 30 viruses, parasites and bacteria that can pass between people who are sexually active.
Most of these infections affect only the sexual organs and the reproductive system, such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia, genital herpes, warts, and trichomoniasis. Some other STIs can be entered at the point of sexual contact but affect other areas of the body, such as syphilis and AIDS.
Some infections can lead to serious implications and complications, especially for women. Often these infections do not cause obvious symptoms in women and men and can go for long periods without detection or treatment. These results mean that women can go on to develop pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. For Bexley Chlamydia Testing kits, visit a site like https://www.bexleysexualhealth.org/
Contraction of the human papilloma virus can also cause an increased risk of cervical cancer for women. Untreated syphilis can cause heart problems, deafness, blindness and mental health problems years after the initial infection.
That’s why it’s so important to get checked. You do not even need to go to a clinic to get peace of mind as home testing kits are now available.
Symptoms that mean it is time to test
Many infections cause no symptoms at all, but some signs should always prompt a test. Pain when urinating is often the first. It can be caused by chlamydia, gonorrhoea or trichomoniasis, although a urinary tract infection or dehydration are other possibilities, so seek advice if it persists.
A change in vaginal discharge, whether in colour, smell, consistency or amount, can point to chlamydia, gonorrhoea, trichomoniasis or HPV. Pain during sex and pelvic pain are also warning signs. Untreated bacterial infections can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, where the reproductive organs become infected, so pain in this area should be checked promptly.
Severe itching may be thrush, but it can also come from these infections, from scabies, which many people do not realise can be passed on sexually, or from pubic lice. Many of these symptoms have other causes too, which is exactly why testing matters: it gives a clear answer and means any infection can be treated before it causes lasting harm.