STI stands for sexually transmitted infections. Sometimes these are called STDs or sexually transmitted diseases.
You can get an STI through sex (oral, anal, or vaginal) with someone who has an untreated STI. Using prevention methods can reduce your vulnerability to STIs and there are many different prevention options to keep you and your partner(s) safe. These include physical barriers like condoms, medication such as DoxyPEP, and behavioral changes like abstaining from sex, entering in a mutually monogamous relationship after both being tested and treated for all STIs, or reducing the number of partners or frequency of sex without barriers.
STIs are very common and are nothing to be ashamed about. All STIs are treatable and most are curable!
If you are sexually active, getting tested is the first step in protecting your sexual health.
What is syphilis?
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), meaning you can get it by having sex (oral, anal, or vaginal) with someone who has untreated syphilis.
Who can get syphilis?
Syphilis can affect anyone who has unprotected sex, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
How do I know if I have syphilis?
The only way to know for sure is a simple blood test. If you are sexually active, you should be tested for syphilis. Health departments can confidentially test you and your partner(s) any time for syphilis, at little or no cost!
What are signs and symptoms of syphilis?
There are four stages: primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary and each stage has different signs and symptoms. Symptoms can change as time goes on, and some people may not notice any symptoms at all. So, that is why it is best to regularly get test for STIs if you have unprotected sex. Some common signs and symptoms include:
Can syphilis be treated?
Yes! Syphilis is treatable and curable with antibiotics. Getting treatment right away can prevent irreversible damage to your heart brain, deafness, blindness, and other serious health problems. Since its possible to get re-exposed and get syphilis again its important that all partners are treated as well.
How can I notify my partners they may have been exposed and may need treatment for syphilis anonymously?
Your local health department can help notify your partner(s) anonymously so they can get tested and treated. Locate your nearest health department here. You can also use tellyourpartner.org to anonymously notify your partner(s). You can learn more here.
What is congenital syphilis?
When syphilis is passed from a pregnant person to their baby, it’s known as congenital syphilis (CS). Congenital syphilis can cause serious health problems for your baby including:
Where can I get syphilis testing and treatment?
Your local health department can confidentially test you and your partner(s) at little or no cost. The health department can also help you notify partner(s) that might benefit from getting test and treated too! You can locate your nearest health department here.
What is the link between syphilis and HIV?
Having untreated syphilis may make it easier for HIV to enter your body. Getting tested and treated for STIs is HIV prevention. Other HIV prevention tools include PreP, PEP, condoms, and U=U. Head over the the HIV page on this website here to learn more.
Learn more about syphilis from the CDC here.
Congenital syphilis (CS) occurs when a people pass syphilis to their babies during pregnancy.
Any baby born to a person with untreated syphilis can get CS.
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), meaning you can get it by having sex (oral, anal, or vaginal) with someone who has untreated syphilis. If you acquire syphilis and do not get treated before pregnancy or during pregnancy at least 30 days before delivery you can pass syphilis on to your baby and that is called congenital syphilis.
The number of babies with CS have more than tripled in recent years across the U.S. despite being preventable with early testing and treatment during pregnancy.
CS can have serious impacts on the health of your baby. The impacts on a baby’s health depends on how long you had syphilis and if/when you got treatment for syphilis.
Not all babies born with CS have symptoms at birth, but if the baby is not treated they could develop serious health problems. Typically health problems will develop in the first few weeks after birth, but they can also happen years later.
If you are thinking about becoming pregnant it is important that you and your partner(s) get tested for syphilis and treated if applicable. Treating syphilis before pregnancy will prevent congenital syphilis. As your baby cannot get CS if you don’t have syphilis. Once you are tested and treated (if applicable) it is important to take steps to protect yourself from syphilis while you are trying to get pregnant. Head over to the syphilis tab to learn more about syphilis prevention.
If you are pregnant you should be tested during the first and third trimester of your pregnancy. In order to prevent a baby from being born with CS, the pregnant person must receive treatment at least 30 days before delivery. If you are sexually active during your pregnancy it is important that your partner(s) are tested and treated for syphilis and that you use prevention like condoms to protect yourself and your baby from syphilis and CS.
Your healthcare provider will consider several factors including: the results of your syphilis blood test and whether you received and completed treatment if you were diagnosed with syphilis. They may also want to test your baby’s blood, do a physical exam, and other tests to see if your baby has CS.
Yes! There is treatment for babies with CS and it is best to treat them right away to prevention serious health problems. Treatment varies based on your baby’s medical evaluation and needs. To ensure the health of your baby its important that you attend follow-up appointments to ensure the treatment worked.
Learn more about congenital syphilis from the CDC here.
What is gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted infection (STI), meaning you can get it by having sex (oral, anal, or vaginal) with someone who has untreated gonorrhea.
Who can get gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea can affect anyone who has unprotected sex, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Gonorrhea is very common, especially among young people ages 15-24 years and can cause infection in the genitals, rectum, and throat.
How do I know if I have gonorrhea?
Gonorrhea often has no symptoms, but it can still cause serious health problems, even without symptoms. The only way to know if you have gonorrhea is to get tested.
Where can I get tested for gonorrhea?
To locate STI testing nearby you can use the locator tool below. Additionally, health departments can confidentially test you and your partner(s) for gonorrhea at little or no cost! You can locate the nearest health department here.
How do they test for gonorrhea?
Most of the time a healthcare provider will use a urine sample to test for gonorrhea. Because a person can get gonorrhea in their genitals, rectum, and throat it is important to test all the sites of your body used for sex. This is often called three-site testing and swabs are used to collect samples and test for gonorrhea in each of these sites.
How is gonorrhea spread?
Gonorrhea is spread by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex without the use of STI prevention tools like condoms or DoxyPEP with someone who has untreated gonorrhea. A pregnant person with gonorrhea can also pass gonorrhea to their baby during childbirth.
How can I protect myself from getting gonorrhea?
The only way to completely avoid getting gonorrhea is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. If you are sexually active, there are many things you can do to protect yourself from gonorrhea. You can use any one or combination of the following:
If I am pregnant and have gonorrhea how can I protect my baby?
Because gonorrhea can be passed to a baby during childbirth it is important to talk to your healthcare provider about being evaluated, tested, and treated. Treating gonorrhea as soon as possible during a pregnancy will make health complications for your baby less likely.
Is there are cure for gonorrhea?
Yes! Treatment can cure gonorrhea. It is very important that you take all of the medicine a healthcare provider gives you to cure gonorrhea even if your symptoms have subsided. If your symptoms continue for more than a few days after receiving treatment it important to return to your healthcare provider as you may have a drug-resistant strain of gonorrhea and different treatment may be needed.
When can I have sex again after my gonorrhea treatment?
It is best to wait seven days have your have completed your gonorrhea treatment before having sex. If your partner(s) also is taking treatment for gonorrhea its important to wait seven days after you both have completed treatment and all symptoms are gone.
What are symptoms of gonorrhea?
Many people have no symptoms at all, but untreated gonorrhea can still cause serious health issues even if you have no symptoms at all. That is why testing is so important. Depending where on the body someone has acquired gonorrhea symptoms can vary but may include the following:
What happens if I don’t get treated for gonorrhea?
Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems such as pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Untreated gonorrhea can also make a person more vulnerable to HIV, a lifelong condition that require ongoing treatment.
Learn more about gonorrhea from the CDC here.
Chlamydia can affect anyone who has unprotected sex, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Chlamydia is very common.
Chlamydia often has no symptoms, but can still cause serious health problems, even without symptoms. The only way to know if you have chlamydia is to get tested.
To located STI testing nearby use the locator tool below. Additionally, health departments can confidentially test you and your partner(s) for chlamydia at little or no cost. You can locate the nearest health department here.
Most of the time a healthcare provider will use a urine sample to test for chlamydia. Because a person can get chlamydia in their genitals, rectum, and throat it is important to test all the sites of your body used for sex. This is often called three-site testing and swabs are used to collect samples and test for chlamydia in each of those sites.
Chlamydia is spread by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex without the use of STI prevention tools like condoms or DoxyPEP with someone who has untreated chlamydia. A pregnant person can also pass chlamydia to their baby during childbirth.
How can I protect myself from getting chlamydia?
The only way to completely avoid getting chlamydia is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. If you are sexually active, there are many things you can do to protect yourself from chlamydia. You can use any one or combination of the following:
Because chlamydia can be passed during childbirth it is important to talk to your healthcare provider about being evaluated, tested, and treated. Treating chlamydia as soon as possible during a pregnancy will make health complications for your baby less likely.
Yes! Treatment can cure chlamydia . It is important to take all of the medicine your health care provider gives you to treat your chlamydia even if you symptoms have subsided.
You should wait until you and your partner(s) complete treatment. If you are given a single dose medicine, you should wait seven days after taking the medication to have sex. If you are given medicine to take for seven days, wait until you finish all your doses before having sex.
Chlamydia often has no symptoms, but it can cause serious health problems, even without symptoms. If symptoms occur, they may not appear until several weeks after having sex with a partner who has chlamydia. Depending on where on the body someone has acquired chlamydia symptoms can vary but may include the following:
Untreated gonorrhea can cause serious and permanent health problems such as pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Untreated gonorrhea can also make a person more vulnerable to HIV, a lifelong condition that requires ongoing treatment.
Learn more about chlamydia from the CDC here
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