STI TOP 5 1 Chlamydia Symptoms Discharge from penis, vagina or anus. Sometimes burning sensation when urinating or lower abdominal pain. But there are often no symptoms. 2 Genital warts 3 Genital herpes 4 Gonorrhoea (the clap) Warts in, on or near the penis, vagina or anus. Blisters, sores or spots on, around or in the penis, vagina or anus. Burning sensation near the genitals and when urinating. Discharge from penis, vagina or anus. Sometimes burning sensation when urinating or lower abdominal pain. But often there are no symptoms. 5 Hepatitis B (inflammation of the liver) Tiredness, nausea and abdominal pain. But there are often no symptoms. Chlamydia is very common and very infectious. One in every six young persons who are tested has chlamydia. What could happen if you don’t go to the doctor You could develop inflammations and become infertile. Warts cannot easily be cured. They may spread or, after healing, come back again. Herpes cannot be cured. The blisters can always come back again (just like cold sores). That often happens when you’re tired or ill. You could develop inflammations and become infertile. What is HIV? HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS, is sexually transmittable. The virus weakens the immune system. Without treatment, a person living with HIV will develop AIDS. HIV is treatable with drugs, but unfortunately there is no cure. If someone with HIV is given the right life-long treatment, they cannot pass on the virus to other people, and can grow just as old as people who do no have HIV. Your liver can’t function properly anymore. Eventually you may even get liver cancer. You don’t only catch herpes from sex without a condom. You can also get it if someone with a cold sore kisses, licks or sucks your genitals. What are STIs? 1 What is an STI? An STI is a sexually transmitted infection. It is an infection you can get from sex without a condom. STIs are transmitted through semen, vaginal fluid, blood and contact between genitals. 2 What’s so bad about an STI? The symptoms of STIs can be quite unpleasant. If you don’t treat an STI in time, it can have serious consequences. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea can even make you infertile. Herpes and genital warts come back again and again. HIV and hepatitis B are also incurable. Use a condom when having sex, so the risk of getting an STI is really small. 3 How do you know if you have an STI? Often you have no symptoms at all and don’t know whether you have an STI. Sometimes you do have symptoms. You need to be tested to be sure that you don’t have an STI. 4 How do you treat an STI? Chlamydia and gonorrhoea are caused by bacteria. They are treated with antibiotics. HIV, hepatitis B, genital warts and genital herpes are caused by viruses. Viruses remain in your body and cannot be treated. There are drugs that control viruses so that they don’t make you ill. LONG LIVE LOVE 31
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