Symptoms

Most STIs are able to be present in your body without you experiencing any symptoms. This is why it is recommended for sexually active individuals to get a regular check up and avoid having any symptoms and complications in the first place (and not to mention prevent passing it onto others).

When symptoms present, they can vary between men and women.

Individual wellbeing

The stress & anxiety caused by having (or even worrying about) an STI is often underestimated (especially by those who don’t specialise in the field). Symptoms of this include difficulty in focusing on studies/work, breakdown of relationships and substantial lifestyle changes.

Genital symptoms in men

• ‘Doesn’t feel right’ – as often described by patients
• Discomfort in water pipe
• Irritation in water pipe
• Itching sensation
• Burning sensation
• Painful urination
• Pain in testicles
• Pus-like discharge from urethra
• “Wetness” at penile tip
• Redness or inflammation of the foreskin
• Redness or inflammation of the glans penis
• Unusual lumps or bumps
• Ulcers, sores & blisters

Additional genital symptoms in men who have sex with men

• Irritation in back passage
• Mucoid or slimy or blood-stained discharge from the back passage
• Diarrhoea
• Unusual lumps or bumps in the back passage
• Ulcers, sores & blisters in the back passage

Genital symptoms in women

• Abnormal discharge
• Change in discharge
• Spotting
• Bleeding after sexual contact (post-coital bleeding)
• Bleeding between periods (intermenstrual bleeding)
• Pain on having sexual intercourse
• Painful urination
• Mucoid or slimy or blood-stained discharge from the back passage (with rectal infection)
• Unusual lumps or bumps
• Ulcers, sores & blisters
• Swollen lymph nodes in the groin

For Women, we advise further caution by ensuring you get tested (as appropriate) without delay. The key reason is that you may be subject to more serious consequences by leaving an STI untreated. This may include problems like Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID), infertility and complications during pregnancy.

For men with female partners, there is a lower risk of developing a serious long-term problem and they show symptoms more frequently than women. However, an important benefit of regular testing is minimising the risk of infecting their female partner(s), who might experience more serious consequences.

For men with male partners, the presence of other STIs increases the risk of acquiring HIV when exposed to it. To avoid this, regular check ups are recommended (as appropriate).