United Kingdom
What are sexually transmitted disease?
Sexually transmitted disease or STDs are illnesses spread primarily through sexual contact and tend to affect mainly the genital area, but can also cause complications elsewhere in the body. You may have also heard them referred to as STIs (sexually transmitted infections) or VDs (venereal diseases), but STD is more commonly used.
Men and women of all ages can contract STDs, but they tend to be more widespread in people between the ages of 16 and 24. Recently there has also been an increase in the number of people with STDs in their 40s and beyond.
These days most STDs are treatable, but if some of them are left untreated for too long, they can cause serious health problems and severe discomfort.
What causes STDs?
STDs can be divided into three main groups, namely bacterial, viral and parasitic.
Most bacterial STDs are easy to treat and can usually be cured in a single course of antibiotics. The most common bacterial STDs are:
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhoea
- Bacterial Vaginosis (BV)
- Mycoplasma Genitalium
- Trichomonas Vaginalis and Ureaplasma Urealyticum
Most viral STDs can't be cured, but can be managed very successfully with antiviral medications and treatments to ease symptoms. Viral STDs include:
Parasitic STDs can under normal circumstances be treated and are unlikely to be the cause of serious complications. Examples of these are:
- Trichomonas vaginalis
- Scabies
- Crabs
What are the symptoms
The majority of people who have been infected with an STD don't tend to notice any signs of an infection at first and may even be without any symptoms for a very long time. However, if you are experiencing the following symptoms, it's worth considering taking an STD test to make sure that you get the right treatment straight away:
- Pain when urinating
- Frequent urination
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Bleeding after sex
- Unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or anus
- Blisters, sores or warts around the genitals or genital area
- Pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis
- Rash or itching near the genitals or anus
How do they spread?
These bacterial, viral or parasitic infections are classed as STDs because the main ways in which people contract them are through sexual contact like anal, vaginal or oral sex. However genital herpes, for example, can be passed on through skin to skin contact or from a mother to her child during child birth.
How can they be prevented?
Although abstinence is probably the only completely fail-safe way of avoiding getting a sexually transmitted disease, it's understandably not always the most practical option. It's normally recommended that you use a barrier method, like a condom or dental dam if you are having sex with a person for the first time, however there may still be the risk of direct skin to skin contact of the outer parts of the genitals.
In cases where you or your partner has genital herpes or warts, speak to your doctor about the best way to manage your condition to minimize the risk of passing it on.
If you are sexually active, especially with multiple partners, it's best to get an STD test once a year so that you can deal with an infection before it becomes a serious health problem.
What tests are available?
Sexually active adults are normally advised to do an STD test once a year, even if you aren't experiencing any active symptoms. This allows you to take care of the infection with the right medication and ensure that it's not passed on to any new sexual partners.
There are many places where you can get tested, including your family doctor or nearest sexual health clinic. You may also decide to order your test online so you can complete it at home in your own time and mail it to our laboratory. All tests are processed by a laboratory, which is a similar process to how it will work at a sexual health clinic or doctor's office.
All you need to do is place an order for the STD test of your choice, take a sample and send it back to the laboratory in a prepaid envelope.
