Chemist4U has released an updated, informative guide on the eight most common STI symptoms you need to know about.
Chlamydia
The most common STI in the UK for those under 25 is often known as the ‘silent infection’. If you have contracted chlamydia, it can often take a couple of weeks for symptoms to appear, and they differ between men and women.
Symptoms for women
- pain when urinating
- unusual vaginal discharge
- pain in the stomach or pelvis
- pain or bleeding after sex
- bleeding between periods
Symptoms for men
- pain when urinating
- white, cloudy or watery discharge from the tip of the penis
- burning or itching in the urethra (the tube which carries urine out of the body)
- pain in the testicles
Gonorrhoea
Half of the women and 1 in 10 men will not get symptoms, AKA ‘the clap’.
Symptoms for women
- thick green or yellow vaginal discharge
- painful urination
- vaginal bleeding between periods
- abdominal or pelvic discomfort
Symptoms for men
- painful urination
- thick green or yellow discharge from the tip of the penis
- pain or inflammation in one or both testicles
Trichomoniasis
Around half of men and women do not experience symptoms, sometimes nicknamed ‘trick’.
Symptoms for women
- vaginal discharge that may be thick
- thin, frothy and yellow or green
- produce more than normal, or it may have an unpleasant fishy smell
- area around the vagina may be sore, swollen and itchy
Symptoms for men
- soreness, swelling, and redness around the head of the penis or foreskin
- pain during urination or ejaculation
- needing to pass urine more often
- thin, white discharge from the penis
Genital warts
It is caused by a type of human papillomavirus (HPV).
Symptoms for women
- painful growths or lumps around your vagina, anus or upper thighs
- itching, bleeding, changes to your urine flow (for example, sideways, instead of downward)
Symptoms for men
- painful growths or lumps around your penis, anus or upper thighs
- itching, bleeding, changes to your urine flow (for example, sideways, instead of downward)
Genital herpes
This can affect the genital and anal area, mouth, and nose.
Symptoms for women
- flu-like symptoms, such as a fever, headache, aches and pains
- stinging, tingling or itching in the genital or anal area
- discharge from the vagina
- fluid-filled blisters appearing in the infected area that burst and leave behind small red sores, which can be very painful
Symptoms for men
- flu-like symptoms, such as a fever, headache, aches and pains, stinging, tingling or itching in the genital or anal area
- discharge from the penis
- fluid-filled blisters appear in the infected area that burst and leaves behind small red sores, which can be very painful
Scabies
It is a common and very contagious disease caused by tiny mites who reproduce on the surface of your skin and burrow into it to lay their eggs.
Symptoms for women
- red, itchy, raised rash or pimple-like spots on your skin
- look different on darker skin, but you should be able to feel them
- itching may become worse at night
Symptoms for men
- red, itchy, raised rash or pimple-like spots on your skin
- look different on darker skin, but you should be able to feel them
- itching may become worse at night
Syphilis
It is a disease not just from the past that is slowly on the rise, with famous sufferers like Al Capone, King Henry VIII, and Oscar Wilde.
Symptoms for women
Early stages of syphilis
- a small painless sore known as a chancre (pronounced ‘shanker’ which means ‘creepling ulcer’) which will appear on the area where the infection entered the body
- chancre will not hurt and should disappear after 2–6 weeks, but it is extremely infectious
Syphilis has been left untreated
- heart disease
- dementia
- stroke
- deafness
- blindness
- paralysis
- If you are pregnant, you could pass syphilis on to your newborn baby, but you and your baby can be treated during pregnancy.
Symptom for men
Early stages of syphilis
- a small painless sore known as a chancre (pronounced ‘shanker’, which means ‘creepling ulcer’) which will appear on the area where the infection entered the body
- chancre will not hurt and should disappear after 2–6 weeks, but it is extremely infectious.
Syphilis has been left untreated
- heart disease
- dementia
- stroke
- deafness
- blindness even paralysis
Human papillomavirus (HPV)
If HPV doesn’t go away on its own, it may increase your risk of developing certain types of cancers in years to come.
Symptoms for women
HPV can have no symptoms, so you may not know you have it – but it is very common, and most people will get some type of HPV in their lifetime.
There is no way to determine which people with HPV will develop cancer or other health problems, but those with weakened immune systems may be more at risk. However, HPV tests can be done at cervical cancer screenings, all women are invited to aged 25–64.
Symptoms for men
- genital warts
As many STIs do not present any symptoms, you could be putting yourself and others at risk if you’ve had unprotected sex. Here’s your sign to get tested.
