Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a common bacterial infection that often causes no symptoms at all. It is easily tested for with a swab or urine sample and cured with a…
16-19 7 min read
Topic 7 of 24
Sexual health, STIs and HIV
Sexually transmitted infections are common, mostly treatable, and much less common than the stigma suggests. Each infection below covers what it is, how it spreads, whether you can have it without noticing, how it is tested and treated, and what happens if it is left alone.
12 articles
5 short answers
10-22 reading levels
Read
In this section
Alphabetical, not ranked. Nothing here is dated, because bodies are not — and we do not track what anyone reads.
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Genital herpes and oral herpes
Herpes is caused by two viruses, HSV-1 and HSV-2, and it is extremely common — most adults carry one of them. It often causes no symptoms at all…
16-19 7 min read
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Getting tested for STIs
STI testing is routine, quick and usually painless. Most infections have a test, and many can be self-collected. You do not need to be in a…
16-19 7 min read
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Gonorrhoea
Gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection that frequently causes no symptoms, particularly in people with a vagina. It is tested with a swab and treated…
16-19 6 min read
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Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. It spreads through blood and certain body fluids — including sexual contact, shared needles and from…
16-19 6 min read
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Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a liver infection that can sit silently for years without symptoms. It spreads mainly through blood — shared needles, unsterilised…
16-19 6 min read
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HIV and AIDS
HIV is a virus that affects the immune system. With regular treatment, people with HIV can live a normal lifespan and the virus can be suppressed to…
16-19 9 min read
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Human papillomavirus (HPV)
HPV is an extremely common virus that most sexually active people acquire at some point. Most infections clear on their own; persistent infection…
16-19 8 min read
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Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
PID is an infection of the pelvic organs, usually spreading upward from the cervix. It often causes little or no pain, which is exactly what makes it…
16-19 6 min read
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Syphilis
Syphilis is a bacterial infection that spreads through sexual contact and, less commonly, through shared needles or from a pregnant parent to a baby…
16-19 6 min read
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Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is an infection caused by a single-celled parasite. It is common, often causes no symptoms, and — unlike chlamydia or gonorrhoea — is…
16-19 5 min read
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Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
A UTI is a bacterial infection of the urinary system. Burning when you pee and needing to go more often are the classic symptoms. It is common, it is…
13-15 6 min read
Also asked
Questions people in this topic actually ask
Each has its own short answer, and most link straight into the articles above.
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Can you get an sti from a toilet seat
STIs are not spread by sitting on a toilet seat, sharing a towel, or sharing a bathroom. They spread through sexual contact and through blood, such as shared needles. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are passed by genital, anal or oral contact; herpes and HPV need skin-to-skin contact with an infected area.
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Can you get an sti from oral sex
Yes. Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HPV and herpes can all be passed through oral contact, and can infect the throat without any symptoms at all. This is why the body sites you have had contact with are what should determine which swabs are taken.
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How do i know if i have an sti
You usually cannot tell by looking or by how you feel, because most infections cause no symptoms at all. The only reliable way to know is testing — usually a urine sample or a swab, which is quick and usually painless.
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Is there such a thing as safe sex
Not completely. Condoms greatly reduce the risk of pregnancy and of most STIs, but they do not eliminate either. They can also fail, and skin-to-skin contact still spreads some infections. Reducing risk well is the realistic goal rather than achieving zero risk.
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How often should i get tested for stis
There is no single schedule that fits everyone. It depends on what you have been exposed to, and on the infections you have had contact with. The pragmatic rule is: after a new partner without a condom, and routinely if you have multiple partners or a partner who does. Testing is routine and not a confession.
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