When you’re sexually active, it’s important to get tested for STIs regularly. You can also help protect yourself and your partner by choosing safer sex practices.

STDs are caused by bacteria, parasites or viruses. Some can be cured with antibiotics, while others can cause serious health problems.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can cause serious complications in women. It can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility, among other problems.

Symptoms usually develop 2 to 30 days after exposure, but can be delayed for weeks or months. They may include pain while urinating, bleeding during a woman’s period, or a discharge from the vagina or penis.

If you have gonorrhea, you should get treatment as soon as possible to prevent it from spreading to your sex partner. You should also avoid sex until you finish treatment.

Your healthcare professional will use a swab from your urethra, penis or cervix to test for the bacteria that cause gonorrhea. The sample is then sent to a lab for culture and genetic testing. The test results will be available within a few days.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that affects both men and women. It is caused by the bacteria chlamydia trachomatis and can be spread through vaginal, oral and anal sex.

Infections with this bacterium can occur anytime during the year. They are usually mild and can go unnoticed, so health authorities often recommend screening.

A doctor can test for chlamydia by either taking a urine sample or a swab. A swab can be taken from the penis, vagina, anus or cervix.

The swab is sent to the laboratory for testing. In most cases, the results are available within a week.

The infection is easily treated with antibiotics. But women who have chlamydia need to stay away from sex for seven days after they’ve finished their treatment. Afterward, they should get another chlamydia test to make sure they don’t have the infection again.

Herpes

Herpes is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) that can affect any sexually active person. It can occur with no signs or symptoms, but a blood test can help detect the presence of herpes.

Herpes spreads through sex, usually during vaginal or oral sex. It can also spread through skin-to-skin contact with someone who has genital herpes.

Symptoms of herpes include itching, tingling, or pain in the genitals. They can be mild or severe and may last for a few days.

Itching and tingling are common during an outbreak and can be relieved with over-the-counter medications, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Motrin (ibuprofen). Topical medications can also reduce the pain of an outbreak.

Herpes sores typically heal within a few weeks, but they can take longer than one month. Syphilis sores tend to heal more slowly, sometimes up to eight weeks.

HIV

HIV is a virus that can occur quickly, affecting your immune system, and causing infection and disease. It can be very severe, with symptoms that include fever, chills, rash and fatigue.

If left untreated, HIV can lead to AIDS (Stage 3). It destroys CD4 cells — important white blood cells that help protect you from infection and disease.

AIDS affects your immune system, leaving you more likely to get infections called opportunistic diseases. These infections can be very serious, and many of them are preventable.

There are medicines called antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) that can keep your virus at a low level, and help your body’s immune system fight off illness. If you start ART early and take it consistently, you can live a long and healthy life.