Most sexually transmitted diseases (STD) are overshadowed by the most infamous STD i.e. HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). Even though HIV is dangerous, diseases like chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis can also have a long-term impact on your life – even your ability to get pregnant! Here’s what you need to know:
Chlamydia
One of the most common STI’s is chlamydia. What makes chlamydia unique is that most people do not know that they have the infection. According to NHS.UK 50% of men and 70%-80% of women who are infected, do not have any symptoms. The symptoms of chlamydia include:
- pain when urinating
- discharge from the penis, rectum or vagina
- bleeding between periods as well as bleeding after sex.
If left untreated, chlamydia can spread, leading to long-term health problems, like infertility and pelvic inflammation. Chlamydia is typically treated with antibiotics.
Syphilis
Syphilis is one of the more dangerous STI’s. It is a bacterial infection that is not only transmitted through unprotected vaginal sex, but also through unsterilised injections, oral and anal sex and pregnant women can pass the infection to an unborn child. In most cases, a syphilis infection during pregnancy will cause stillbirth or death of an infant shortly after birth. Syphilis is divided into three separate phases. The first two phases are when the infection is at its most infectious.
During the first phase, small painless sores or ulcers will appear on the genitals or the mouth. If someone comes into contact with one of the sores, they can become infected. The sore lasts for two to six weeks and disappears shortly after.
During the second phase, the infected person will develop a skin rash and have a very sore throat. These symptoms also only last a few weeks. Thereafter, the person may enter a “latency phase”, where there are no symptoms. This latency phase (not the third and final phase) can last for years. When the syphilis does return, the third phase, its symptoms are by far the worst. The symptoms that occur usually depends on where the infection has spread to, so symptoms of the infection can include: stroke, loss of co-ordination, dementia, blindness, deafness, paralysis, heart disease and skin rashes.
Fortunately, syphilis is easily treated in its early stages, usually only needing antibiotics such as penicillin injections.
Gonorrhoea
Commonly known as “the clap”, gonorrhoea is a bacterial infection that is spread through unprotected oral, anal and vaginal sex. Similar to chlamydia, men who are infected often have no symptoms. Common symptoms of gonorrhoea include: a discharge from the vagina or the penis, pain when urinating and bleeding between periods. Antibiotics are used to treat the bacterial infection and have a 95% success rate. Unfortunately, antibiotic-resistant gonorrhoea is on the rise, making it tougher to treat the infection. Long-term side-effects of untreated gonorrhoea include infertility and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease.