What is it? Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is a condition where certain kinds of bacteria in the vagina grow too much. BV is common in women of childbearing age.

What are the symptoms? Some women with BV don’t know they have it because they have no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, you might notice:

• An unusual discharge with a strong fish-like smell from your vagina. You are most likely to notice this after you have sex.
• Itching around your vagina.

How can I find out if I have BV? You should be tested for BV if you have any symptoms, like a vaginal discharge. A health care provider will examine you and take a sample of fluid from your vagina to determine if you have BV.

How is BV treated? BV can be treated and cured with antibiotics.

• Finish all of your medicine to be sure you are cured, even if your symptoms go away.
• Do not share your medicine with anyone. You need all of it.
• If you still have symptoms after treatment, go back to see your health care provider.

What if I’m pregnant?

• You’re more likely to give birth early.
• Your baby is more likely to be underweight (less than 5 pounds at birth).

What happens if I don't get treated? You may have a higher risk of getting another STI, such as chlamydia or gonorrhea. You may have a higher risk of getting HIV if you have unprotected sex with an HIV-infected partner.

What is it? Chlamydia is a common STI caused by bacteria. You can get chlamydia in your cervix, rectum, throat or eyes.

What are the symptoms? Many people with chlamydia don’t know they have it because they have no symptoms. If the infection spreads, you might have: 

• Lower abdominal pain
• An unusual, strong-smelling discharge in women or a white, cloudy or watery discharge in men
• Pain during sex or when urinating
• Irritation or itching around the genitals or pain in the testicles
• Nausea
• Fever
• Pain and discharge from the rectum
• Eye redness, pain and discharge

How can I find out if I have chlamydia? The test for chlamydia may involve a urine sample or a vaginal swab.

How is chlamydia treated? Chlamydia can be treated and cured with antibiotics.

• Finish all of your medicine to be sure you are cured, even if your symptoms go away.
• Do not share your medicine with anyone. You need all of it.
• Do not have sex while being treated
• If you still have symptoms after treatment, go back to see your health care provider.
• You should get tested again about three months after you finish your treatment.

What if I’m pregnant?

• Pregnant women with chlamydia are more likely to give birth early.
• The baby is more likely to be underweight (less than 5 pounds at birth) and can develop an eye infection or pneumonia.
• You could pass the infection to your baby when giving birth.

What happens if I don't get treated?

In women:

• Chlamydia can spread to the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a serious infection of the reproductive organs.
• This infection can damage the fallopian tubes, which may leave a woman unable to get pregnant or lead to an ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus).
• PID may also cause chronic pain in your pelvic area.

In men:

• Chlamydia can cause an inflammation of the testicles, called epididymitis.
• Men are also more likely to have reactive arthritis, where the joints, eyes or urethra become inflamed.

What is it? Genital herpes is an STI caused by two viruses – herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2). It can be passed on through anal, oral or vaginal sex.

What are the symptoms? Most people who have genital herpes don’t know it because there are often no symptoms. If you have symptoms, the most common are:

• Painful blisters or sores on or around the genitals or anus. These sores usually heal within two to four weeks.
• Feeling like you have the flu when the sores are present.
• Sores that come back several times within a year. The recurrence of the sores is called an outbreak.

How can I find out if I have genital herpes? Without the obvious symptoms, a blood test can determine if you have genital herpes if you believe you may have been exposed.

How is genital herpes treated? While there is no cure, there are treatments for the symptoms:

• Some medicines can prevent the blisters or make them go away faster.
• If you have several outbreaks in a year, a treatment called daily suppressive therapy can reduce your chance of passing the infection to your sex partners.
• Over time you can expect to have fewer outbreaks.

What if I’m pregnant?

• In rare cases, you could pass the infection to your baby when giving birth.
• If you have active genital herpes when you go into labor, the health care provider may deliver your baby by cesarean section.
• Be sure to tell your health care provider if you or your partner has genital herpes.

What happens if I don't get treated? While genital herpes does not usually cause serious health problems, it is painful. If you touch the sores or fluids from the sores, you could transfer herpes to another part of your body, such as your eyes.

What is it? Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STI in the United States. There are many different types of HPV. It is most commonly spread during vaginal or anal sex and also spreads through close skin-to-skin touching during sex.

What are the symptoms? HPV infections are classified as low or high risk:

• Low-risk HPV infections can cause genital warts, which are usually painless and not a serious problem. They usually go away over time.
• They can be flat or raised, single or in groups, and small or large.
• Women with low-risk HPV might have warts on the vagina, vulva, cervix, anus or thigh.
• In some people, high-risk HPV infections can persist and cause cell changes. If these cell changes are not treated, they may lead to cancer over time, including cancer of the cervix and anus.

How can I find out if I have genital HPV? There is no need to get tested to find out if you have genital HPV. However, it is very important for women to get screened for cervical cancer caused by genital HPV. Regular Pap tests can catch cervical cancer early.

How is genital HPV treated? There is no treatment for genital HPV itself. Your body usually fights off the virus on its own. There are treatments for the health problems that genital HPV can cause, like genital warts, cervical changes and cervical cancer.

What if I’m pregnant?

• There is a very low risk of passing HPV to a baby during childbirth.
• Babies are usually able to clear the virus on their own.

What happens if I don't get treated? Without treatment, genital warts may go away, stay the same or grow in size or number.

What is it? Gonorrhea is an STI caused by a bacterial infection. It infects the mucous membranes of the reproductive tract, including the cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes. You can get gonorrhea in the anus, eyes, mouth, throat, urinary tract or uterus.

What are the symptoms? Many people, particularly women, have no symptoms. Symptoms vary depending on what part of the body is infected.

If women have gonorrhea in the uterus or urinary tract, they might notice:

• Vaginal bleeding between your periods
• Pain or burning when peeing
• Increased vaginal discharge

Men with gonorrhea might notice:

• Pain or burning when peeing
• A white, yellow or green discharge from the penis
• Painful or swollen testicles

Symptoms of gonorrhea in the rectum include:

• Itching, soreness, bleeding and/or a discharge from the rectum
• Painful bowel movements

If you have gonorrhea in the throat, you might notice that your throat is sore.

How can I find out if I have gonorrhea? Your health care provider can test you for gonorrhea.

How is gonorrhea treated? Gonorrhea is curable with antibiotic treatment:

• Finish all of your medicine to be sure you are cured, even if your symptoms go away.
• Do not share your medicine with anyone. You need all of it.
• Do not have sex while being treated.
• If you still have symptoms after treatment, go back to see your health care provider.

What if I’m pregnant? 

• Pregnant women who have gonorrhea are more likely to have a miscarriage, give birth early and get an infection of the placenta and the amniotic fluid. Also, their babies are more likely to be underweight (less than 5 pounds at birth).
• You could pass the infection to your baby when giving birth.
• If you have a gonorrhea infection when you go into labor, your health care provider may deliver your baby by cesarean section.
• Be sure to tell your health care provider if you or your partner has gonorrhea.

What happens if I don't get treated?

In women:

• Gonorrhea can spread to the uterus or fallopian tubes and cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), a serious infection of the reproductive organs.
• This infection can damage the fallopian tubes, which may leave you unable to get pregnant or lead to an ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus).
• PID may also cause chronic pain in your pelvic area.

In men:

Gonorrhea can cause a painful condition in the tubes attached to the testicles. In rare cases, this can lead to infertility.

Both:

• Both men and women may have a higher risk getting HIV if they have unprotected sex with an HIV-infected partner.
• Gonorrhea can spread to the blood or joints, which is a serious condition.

What is it? Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system. While there is no cure for HIV, there is treatment that controls it and helps people stay healthy.

What are the symptoms? Most people have flu-like symptoms within two to four weeks after infection. Symptoms may last for a few days or several weeks.

• Having these symptoms alone doesn’t mean you have HIV. Other illnesses can cause similar symptoms.
• Some people have no symptoms at all. The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested.

How can I find out if I have HIV? There is a test for HIV. It is quick, painless and free.

How is HIV treated? HIV is treated with antiretroviral therapy, which reduces the amount of HIV in the body. It may be prescribed as a pill or a shot.

What if I’m pregnant? If you are pregnant and test positive for HIV, your health care provider will prescribe the right type of HIV treatment to help prevent passing HIV to your baby.

What happens if I don't get treated? If HIV is not treated, it can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

What is it? Syphilis is an STI caused by bacteria that can be transmitted through oral, anal or vaginal contact with a syphilis sore on someone who has the disease. Syphilis is easy to treat and cure in the early stages.

What are the symptoms? Syphilis has four stages:

• Primary stage: Symptoms include one or more painless sores, called chancres, on the vagina, mouth, anus or rectum, depending on the area contacted. They last three to six weeks and heal on their own. Without treatment, the disease will progress to the next stage.
• Secondary stage: Symptoms include a red or brown rash on the hands, feet or other parts of the body. It usually doesn’t itch. Other symptoms include fever, sore throat, muscle aches, headaches, hair loss and feeling tired. Again, these may go away without treatment, but the disease will progress to the next stage.
• Latent stage: While there are no symptoms in this stage, a blood test will detect syphilis, which can remain hidden for many years in the latent stage.
• Tertiary stage: This stage of syphilis is very serious and can begin after many years of having untreated syphilis, even if you never noticed symptoms. Symptoms of tertiary syphilis may include difficulty moving your arms and legs, paralysis, numbness, blindness and heart disease.

How can I find out if I have syphilis? Your health care provider can give you a blood test for syphilis.

How is syphilis treated? One shot of the antibiotic penicillin will cure a person who has had syphilis for less than a year. More doses are needed to treat someone who has had syphilis for longer than a year.

What if I’m pregnant?

• You can pass syphilis on to your baby even if you don’t know you are infected.
• Pregnant women with syphilis are more likely to have a miscarriage or have their babies early.
• Babies are more likely to be underweight (less than 5 pounds at birth), die in the womb or die as a newborn.

What happens if I don’t get treated?

• Syphilis stays in your body.
• It can damage your heart, brain, eyes and other organs.
• This damage may not show up for many years and could kill you. 

What is it? Trichomoniasis, also called trich, is an STI caused by a parasite. You may or may not have symptoms.

What are the symptoms? In women, trichomoniasis may cause:

• Vaginal discharge with a fishy smell
• Pain during sex
• Pain when urinating
• Genital itching, burning, redness or soreness

In men, symptoms include:

• Discharge from the penis
• Burning feeling after peeing or ejaculating
• Itching or irritation inside the penis

How can I find out if I have trichomoniasis? You should be tested for trichomoniasis if you have any symptoms.

For women:

• A health care provider will examine you and take a sample of fluid from your vagina to determine if you have a trichomoniasis infection.

For men:

• A health care provider will examine you and take a sample of fluid from inside the penis or test a urine sample.

How is trichomoniasis treated? Trichomoniasis can be treated and cured with antibiotics.

• Finish all of your medicine to be sure you are cured, even if your symptoms go away.
• Do not share your medicine with anyone. You need all of it.
• Do not have sex while being treated.
• If you still have symptoms after treatment, go back to see your health care provider.
• You should get tested again about three months after you finish your treatment.

What if I’m pregnant?

• Pregnant women with trichomoniasis are more likely to have their babies early.
• The baby is more likely to be underweight (less than 5 pounds at birth).

What happens if I don't get treated? Untreated trichomoniasis can last for months and even years. The inflammation can make it easier to get HIV.