A sexually transmitted infection, or STI, can be acquired by many different types of sexual activity. Many STIs have no symptoms, but can still cause significant health problems later on. This is why it’s important to get STD testing.
There are many infectious organisms (such as bacteria and viruses) that can be transmitted through sexual activity. This is known as a sexually transmitted infection, or STI. There are also other terms that are commonly used to describe the same type of infection, including sexually transmitted disease (STD) and venereal disease (VD). These various terms are basically interchangeable, and refer to the same diseases.
However, some scientists prefer the term sexually transmitted infection, because it helps to emphasize the fact that not all sexually transmitted infections actually cause any symptoms of disease. It’s actually very common for people to have a sexually transmitted infection and not even know about it.
For example, gonorrhea causes the “classic” symptoms that most people associate with STDs, such as pain or burning with urination and unusual discharge from the vagina or penis. However, many people with gonorrhea never have these symptoms. Others could develop these symptoms, but not until months after the exposure to the bacteria, so they wouldn’t suspect that they had gonorrhea until much later in the course of the illness.
Even if there are no apparent symptoms of an STI in the early part of the illness, there could still be health consequences later on. For example, gonorrhea can cause infertility, especially in women. This happens because the inflammation from the infection causes damage to the inside of the fallopian tubes and uterus, making it difficult for eggs and embryos to pass through the reproductive tract and implant normally into the uterus. Even if the woman didn’t have symptoms of gonorrhea, she could still become infertile from having the infection. Treating the infection with antibiotics later will not cure the infertility.
This is why it’s recommended that sexually active people undergo STD testing regularly, even when they’re healthy. “Sexually active” doesn’t mean that you have lots of new partners; even one new partner could expose you to an STI. Unless the partner has had STD testing recently, he or she may not be aware that they’re carrying an STI. Because condoms aren’t perfect and sometimes can break or leak, it’s recommended that you have regular STD testing even if you use condoms when you have sex. You can visit an STD clinic to get the recommended panel of STD testing in Singapore.
Sources:
Mayo Clinic. “STD symptoms: Common STDs and their symptoms.” Mayo Clinic. Published 18 Mar 2015. Accessed 25 Jun 2016. http://www.mayoclinic.org/std-symptoms/art-20047081
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 25 Feb 2014. Accessed 26 Jun 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/std/general/default.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Screening Recommendations Referenced in Treatment Guidelines and Original Recommendation Sources.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 4 Jun 2015. Accessed 20 Jun 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/screening-recommendations.htm
References
Sexually transmitted infection at Shim Clinic, Singapore