Sexually transmitted infection

A sexually transmitted infection (STI), also referred to as a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and the older term venereal disease (VD), is an <a href="/facts/Infection/182XrncP">infection</a> that is <a href="/facts/Transmission_(medicine)/sSGEGhcd">spread</a> by <a href="/facts/Human_sexual_activity/jNYgvpq4">sexual activity</a>, especially <a href="/facts/Sexual_intercourse/okjwpVnB">vaginal intercourse</a>, <a href="/facts/Anal_sex/sWRpk95W">anal sex</a>, <a href="/facts/Oral_sex/QG6XzNkY">oral sex</a>, or sometimes <a href="/facts/Non-penetrative_sex/8b9vrVxy">manual sex</a>. STIs often do not initially cause symptoms, which results in a risk of transmitting them on to others. The term sexually transmitted infection is generally preferred over sexually transmitted disease or venereal disease, as it includes cases with no <a href="/facts/Signs_and_symptoms/BzP6MrTN">symptomatic disease</a>. Symptoms and signs of STIs may include <a href="/facts/Vaginal_discharge/fcHNsLY0">vaginal discharge</a>, <a href="/facts/Penile_discharge/MQaTnt4d">penile discharge</a>, <a href="/facts/Genital_ulcers/LwXCYj4t">ulcers on or around the genitals</a>, and <a href="/facts/Pelvic_pain/xvCGjdmm">pelvic pain</a>. Some STIs can cause <a href="/facts/Infertility/emky9q8L">infertility</a>.
Bacterial STIs include <a href="/facts/Chlamydia_infection/bcKTIM1L">chlamydia</a>, <a href="/facts/Gonorrhea/xulQCkLF">gonorrhea</a>, and <a href="/facts/Syphilis/fdnGLyLT">syphilis</a>. Viral STIs include <a href="/facts/Genital_warts/4qGgxN4V">genital warts</a>, <a href="/facts/Genital_herpes/evzPRkxt">genital herpes</a>, and <a href="/facts/HIV/AIDS/RqLIEMuJ">HIV/AIDS</a>. Parasitic STIs include <a href="/facts/Trichomoniasis/FHEG7Wj1">trichomoniasis</a>. Most STIs are treatable and curable; of the most common infections, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis are curable, while HIV/AIDS and genital herpes are not curable. Some <a href="/facts/Vaccinations/3SfpzPsd">vaccinations</a> may decrease the risk of certain infections including <a href="/facts/Hepatitis_B_vaccine/j2gQw4Sc">hepatitis B</a> and few types of <a href="/facts/HPV_vaccine/S771rmAE">HPV</a>. <a href="/facts/Safe_sex/X9N4rvqA">Safe sex</a> practices such as use of <a href="/facts/Condom/A39P32AV">condoms</a>, having smaller number of sexual partners, and being in a relationship in which each person only has sex with the other also decreases STIs risk. <a href="/facts/Comprehensive_sex_education/20c5KK0k">Comprehensive sex education</a> may also be useful.
STI diagnostic tests are usually easily available in the <a href="/facts/Developed_world/sqwTSDHm">developed world</a>, but they are often unavailable in the <a href="/facts/Developing_world/eTfS4kxl">developing world</a>. There is often shame and <a href="/facts/Social_stigma/HXG8pDsF">stigma</a> associated with STIs. In 2015, STIs other than HIV resulted in 108,000 deaths worldwide. Globally, in 2015, about 1.1 billion people had STIs other than HIV/AIDS. About 500 million have either syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia or trichomoniasis. At least an additional 530 million have genital herpes, and 290 million women have <a href="/facts/Human_papillomavirus/7XW8mjG2">human papillomavirus</a>. Historical documentation of STIs in <a href="/facts/Ancient_history/P0fFQ8z5">antiquity</a> dates back to at least the <a href="/facts/Ebers_Papyrus/7KWeHwXs">Ebers Papyrus</a> (c. 1550 BCE) and the <a href="/facts/Hebrew_Bible/y8yblF9f">Hebrew Bible</a>/<a href="/facts/Old_Testament/YFNzQVcK">Old Testament</a> (8th/7th C. BCE).

Sexually transmitted infection open-in-new

Sexually transmitted infection