If you have been sexually active and this question has been sitting in the back of your mind, you deserve a straight answer.
Yes, sexually transmitted diseases STDs), often referred to as sexually transmitted infections (STIs), are contagious. They pass from one person to another through blood, semen, vaginal fluids, and other bodily fluids during vaginal, oral, or anal contact.
What makes them spread so easily is how quiet they can be. You can look healthy, feel healthy, and still carry an infection you can pass to someone else. Embarrassment keeps many women from asking questions, and that silence gives an infection more time to do damage.
Here is what to watch for, why testing matters even more during pregnancy, and how Ramona Women’s Clinic can help with confidential care.
Common Symptoms of STDs
Symptoms range from severe to none. According to the Mayo Clinic, signs can include:
- Unusual or foul-smelling discharge from the genitals
- Sores or bumps on the genital, oral, or rectal area
- Pain or burning with urination
- Unusual vaginal bleeding
- Pain with sex
- Sore or swollen lymph nodes in the groin
- Lower abdominal pain
- Rash on the trunk, hands, or feet
- Fever
But remember, you can have an STD and have no symptoms; that’s why testing is the only way to know your status for certain.
An infection left alone can move into the reproductive organs and cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which scars the fallopian tubes and raises the risk of chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy, and infertility.
Other untreated infections are linked to heart disease and certain cancers.
What Treatment Looks Like
Bacterial infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can usually be cleared with a course of antibiotics.
Viral infections like herpes and HIV cannot be cured, though antiviral medication manages symptoms and lowers the chance of passing them to a partner.
Either way, a diagnosis hands you something you can act on.
STDs and Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, testing moves to the top of your list.
Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV can reach your baby during pregnancy or delivery.
Untreated infections are associated with preterm birth, low birth weight, eye infections, pneumonia, and lasting developmental problems.
Finding an STD early gives you and your provider time to build a plan that protects both you and your baby.
We Are Here for You
You deserve the information you need to stay safe.
Ramona Women’s Clinic offers free, lab-quality pregnancy testing and limited obstetrical ultrasounds. If you have a confirmed pregnancy, we also offer free STI testing and treatment for the most common STIs, chlamydia and gonorrhea.
You will also find free, confidential options counseling and a team that listens without judgment.
Contact us today to schedule your free, confidential appointment. You are not alone in this.
