What women need to know about STIs

It’s something most women don’t like to think about — but every year, more than nine million are diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the U.S. — and many don’t even realize anything is amiss. That’s because, in most cases, there are no early symptoms.

According to Dr. Roumta Odisho, a board-certified OBGYN with Sharp Community Medical Group and affiliated with Sharp Grossmont Hospital, most STIs are asymptomatic. “If symptoms do occur, the most common signs are abnormal vaginal discharge, pain or burning with urination, pelvic pain, pain with intercourse, irregular bleeding or bleeding after intercourse,” she says. “In some instances, there are vulvar or vaginal lesions or ulcers.”

STIs vs. STDs: What’s the difference and why it matters

STIs and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are both usually spread through sexual intercourse, oral or anal sex. However, Dr. Odisho explains that it’s essential to distinguish between the two for screening, prevention, accurate diagnosis and treatment.

“Both are transmitted in the same manner, but the terminology differs,” she says. “STIs don’t usually cause symptoms and can go unrecognized, but once the infection progresses to showing clinical symptoms, it’s considered an STD, which may have complications later.”

Since many women won’t experience symptoms right away — or at all — taking charge of your sexual health through proactive protection and regular screening is essential.

How to protect yourself

Some of the most common STIs are HPV (human papilloma virus), HSV (herpes simplex virus), chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomonas, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and syphilis. These can all be transmitted by bodily fluids, including semen, vaginal fluids and blood. Some can even be transmitted through breastfeeding.

To stay safe and healthy, Dr. Odisho recommends these preventative measures to avoid or detect an STI early:

• Use a condom consistently. Even if you’re on birth control, barrier protection is essential during vaginal, anal and oral sex to protect against STIs.

• Get vaccinated. A pre-exposure vaccination, like those for hepatitis B and HPV, can be effective. In fact, HPV is the cause of 99.7% of cervical cancers; however, vaccination has reduced cervical cancer by up to 87% to 90%.

• Get screened regularly. Routine STI screening, either annually or with every new sexual partner, is a simple but powerful prevention.

• Know your options: Abstinence and mutual monogamy are other protective measures.

Treatment options and seeking help

Many STIs, such as gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomonas, can be treated and cured with antibiotics. “It’s important for sexual partners to also be treated to prevent re-exposure and infection,” says Dr. Odisho. “It’s also important to retest after treatment to ensure the infection has cleared.”

If left untreated, Dr. Odisho explains, some infections can become more serious. For example, some may lead to pelvic inflammatory disease, which is an infection within the upper genital tract, including the uterus or fallopian tubes.

“These untreated infections can cause women to have chronic pelvic pain and increase the risk of complications, such as infertility and ectopic pregnancies,” she says.

Other STIs, such as HSV, HIV and HPV, are viral and can’t be cured. They’re lifelong but manageable with medications to reduce symptoms and help prevent transmission to sexual partners.

The stigma of STIs and changing outdated thinking

There’s no denying that conversations around STIs are still considered taboo. They also often come with shame and misunderstanding when seeking out resources. This stigma may prevent people from getting tested or seeking care.

“I find that the stigma surrounding STIs is the result of social and cultural factors along with our society’s lack of comprehensive sexual health education,” says Dr. Odisho. “The best way to reduce that stigma is to simply talk about it. It’s important to have discussions about sex and STI screenings, prevention and treatments with your sexual partners as well as trusted health care providers and community members.”

She adds that providers also play a role by creating safe, judgment-free spaces for patients to ask questions and access care.

The bottom line

STIs are quite common, and for most, treatable or, at least, manageable. What matters most is staying informed, taking action and putting your health first.

“A diagnosis may be nerve-racking, but I think it’s important for women to feel empowered by taking control and putting their sexual health first to avoid future health and reproductive complications,” says Dr. Odisho.

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