The term sexually transmitted infection (STI) is often preferred to sexually transmitted disease (STD). This is because many such infections don’t cause any disease symptoms in many of those who are infected. STD testing can help to catch asymptomatic infections to prevent them from being passed on.
A sexually transmitted infection is a disease that’s passed from person to person through sexual activity. The term “sexually transmitted infection,” or STI, means essentially the same thing as “sexually transmitted disease,” or STD. However, some experts prefer to call it a sexually transmitted infection, because many such infections don’t show any disease symptoms in many of those infected. In some cases, asymptomatic STIs will cause health problems much later. For instance, untreated gonorrhea can lead to infertility, even if the initial infection didn’t cause symptoms.
Even when a sexually transmitted infection doesn’t cause symptoms, it can still be passed on to a sexual partner. This is why it’s always important to practice safe sex, even if your partner appears to be entirely healthy. He or she could easily be harboring an STI without even knowing it. If you catch that infection, you could experience symptoms even though the person who gave you the infection didn’t have any symptoms.
It’s safest to use a condom every single time you have sex. This will provide good protection from STIs, although it’s not perfect and there’s still some degree of risk. It will also protect you from unwanted pregnancy. Use a condom if you’re having vaginal, oral, or anal sex, because any of these can transmit an STI.
In a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship, you may not want to use a condom with your partner every time you have sex. If you use some other form of birth control (such as the pill, ring, or patch), then you won’t need condoms to prevent pregnancy. However, before you give up the condoms, you and your partner should both seek STD testing. This ensures that neither of you has acquired a sexually transmitted infection from a previous partner. If the STD testing shows that you’re both healthy, then you can have sex without worrying. If one of you has an STI, appropriate treatment can be given.
Because it’s so common for an STI to be asymptomatic, STD testing in Singapore is recommended on a regular basis for people who are sexually active, even when they don’t have any symptoms. Go to your local STD clinic to get the testing you need.
Sources:
Mayo Clinic. “STD symptoms: Common STDs and their symptoms.” Mayo Clinic. Published 18 Mar 2015. Accessed 25 Jun 2016. http://www.mayoclinic.org/std-symptoms/art-20047081
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 25 Feb 2014. Accessed 26 Jun 2016. https://www.cdc.gov/std/general/default.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Screening Recommendations Referenced in Treatment Guidelines and Original Recommendation Sources.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published 4 Jun 2015. Accessed 20 Jun 2016. http://www.cdc.gov/std/tg2015/screening-recommendations.htm
References
Sexually transmitted infection at Shim Clinic, Singapore