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Many people don't notice symptoms when they have an STI. For example around 50% of women and 10% of men with gonorrhoea don't have symptoms. Similarly, most women with chlamydia do not notice symptoms. If you have had unprotected sexual contact or if you have any of the common symptoms listed below, get tested.

In women and men:

• Pain when you pass urine (pee)
• Itching, burning or tingling around the genitals
• Blisters, sores, spots or lumps around the genitals or anus
• Black powder or tiny white dots in your underwear (this could be droppings or eggs from pubic lice)

In women:

• Yellow or green vaginal discharge
• Discharge that smells
• Bleeding between periods or after sex
• Pain during sex
• Lower abdominal pain

In men:

• Discharge from the penis
• Irritation of the urethra (the tube where urine comes out)

These symptoms don't necessarily mean that you have an STI, but it is worth getting tested. For example, it's possible to get thrush without having sex, but it can cause STI-like symptoms, such as soreness, itching and discharge. Thrush is easily treated and the treatment is available through Anytime Doctor.

Significant proportions of both men and women can have a sexually transmitted infection and feel perfectly well. However, if left untreated some STIs can cause long term complications such as infertility and in women can cause miscarriage and conjunctivitis in babies if present during pregnancy. A sexual health screen is the quickest and most effective way of determining if you need treatment. Many common STIs can be cured with antibiotics.

If you think you might have a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or if you have been told by your sexual partner that they have an STI, don't panic - get tested. Many people with STIs don't get symptoms, so it's worth getting tested even if you feel healthy.

Women and men can pass infections to one another. Similarly, women can pass infections to women, and men can pass infections on to men. An STI can be passed from any person to another through unprotected sexual contact, including vaginal, anal and oral sex. You can get or pass on an STI whoever you're having sex with. You can't always tell by looking at someone (including yourself) whether they have a sexually transmitted infection, so it is important to get tested if you have had unprotected sexual contact.

To obtain an accurate result for these types of sexually transmitted infections you need to have a blood test. There is no urine test which can test for HIV, syphilis, Hep B or Hep C. There is a saliva test available, but it does not offer the same accuracy as a blood test. We also feel that due to the seriousness of these illnesses, should you test positive you will need to be in the company of a trained doctor and not receive your results online.

The good news is that within the UK the prevalence of these diseases is very low in comparison to chlamydia or herpes, which we do test for and treat. We strongly suggest that if you do need to have an HIV test you visit your doctor or a GUM clinic. Similarly if you have been to Africa and had unprotected sex we recommend you book an appointment at a sexual health clinic for a face-to-face consultation.

Last reviewed & updated  02/11/2019   Authored  14/09/2009