What are the Most Common #STIs/STDs and Their Symptoms? Plus How to Get Tested Fast, At Home

Summary

Dr. Dominic Rowley, Medical Director of Let's Go Check Comm, discusses the prevalence of STIs (sexually transmitted infections), including gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis. He clarifies that STIs and STDs are the same, emphasizing the importance of testing due to many infections being asymptomatic. Symptoms in women may include abnormal discharge or bleeding, while men might experience penile discharge or pain during urination. The video highlights the risks of untreated STIs, such as infertility, and encourages testing for everyone, regardless of relationship status, and offers various testing options, including at-home tests.

Takeaways

• 😷 STIs, or sexually transmitted infections, are also known as STDs, or sexually transmitted diseases, with the term 'disease' being replaced by 'infection' to avoid stigmatization.
• 📈 There is a current epidemic of several STIs, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis.
• 🌐 HPV, or human papilloma virus, is a common STI that can cause genital warts.
• 🦠 Chlamydia and gonorrhea are bacterial STIs, while HIV is a viral STI, and syphilis is another type of STI.
• 🤔 Many STIs are asymptomatic, with up to 80% of women not showing symptoms for chlamydia, and similar rates for syphilis and HIV.
• 🚺 For women, signs of STIs can include abnormal vaginal discharge, changes in menstrual patterns, and pain during or after intercourse.
• 🚹 In men, symptoms of STIs may include penile discharge, painful urination, blood in semen, and testicular pain.
• 🌈 Rectal symptoms or sore throat can occur in individuals engaging in anal or oral sex, respectively.
• ⚠️ Untreated STIs can lead to serious complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease in women and epididymitis in men, potentially causing infertility.
• 🩺 It is recommended to get tested for STIs if experiencing unusual genital symptoms, and regular testing is advised even for those in monogamous relationships.
• 🏥 Testing and treatment options for STIs are available through family doctors, health clinics, sexual health clinics, and at-home testing kits from services like 'Let's Get Checked Comm'.

Q & A

What is the difference between STIs and STDs?

There is no difference; STIs and STDs are the same. The term 'STI' was adopted to replace 'STD' because it focuses on the infection aspect rather than the disease, making it less stigmatizing.

Why are STIs currently considered an epidemic?

STIs are considered an epidemic because they are incredibly common, with infections like gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis being widespread.

What does HPV stand for and what is its common manifestation?

HPV stands for Human Papillomavirus, which is also known as genital warts and can cause these warts to appear.

Why are many STIs difficult to detect without testing?

Many STIs are difficult to detect because they often have no symptoms, especially in women, where up to 80% may not show any signs of infection.

What is a physiological discharge and how does it differ from a pathological discharge?

A physiological discharge is a normal vaginal discharge that women can have. A pathological discharge, on the other hand, is abnormal and may have an unpleasant smell, unusual color, or be different from what is considered normal.

What are some symptoms of STIs in women?

Symptoms in women can include an abnormal discharge, changes in their menstrual cycle such as bleeding after sex or in between periods, and pain during or after intercourse.

What symptoms might men experience if they have an STI?

Men might experience discharge from the penis, a stinging or burning sensation when urinating, blood in the sperm, pain after ejaculation, testicular pain or discomfort, and in some cases, rectal symptoms or sore throat.

Why is it important to diagnose and treat STIs even if there are no symptoms?

It is important because untreated STIs can lead to serious complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease in women, which can cause infertility, and epididymitis or testicular infections in men, which can also affect fertility.

What advice does Dr. Dominic Rowley give regarding STI testing for patients?

Dr. Rowley advises all patients to get tested if they have any unusual genital symptoms, and even if they are in a long-term or monogamous relationship, it is recommended to get a full screen for sexual health.

What are some ways to get tested and treated for an STI?

Patients can get tested by attending their family doctor, going to a public or private health clinic, a sexual health clinic, or purchasing a personal health test from Let's Get Checked to perform at home.

Outlines

00:00

😷 Understanding STIs and Their Prevalence

Dr. Dominic Rowley introduces himself as the medical director of 'Let's Go Check Comm' and begins discussing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), also known as sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). He clarifies the interchangeable use of STI and STD, explaining the shift from 'disease' to 'infection' in terminology. The script highlights the commonality of STIs such as HPV (human papilloma virus), chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and syphilis. It emphasizes the asymptomatic nature of many STIs, which can lead to a lack of awareness until the disease has significantly progressed, underscoring the importance of testing.

Keywords

💡STI

STI stands for 'Sexually Transmitted Infection', which is a broad term encompassing various infections that are spread through sexual contact. In the video, Dr. Dominic Rowley discusses STIs as a prevalent health issue, emphasizing their commonality and the importance of testing and treatment. The script mentions several types of STIs, including HPV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV, and syphilis.

💡STD

STD stands for 'Sexually Transmitted Disease', which is synonymous with STI. The video explains that the term has evolved from STD to STI, with the word 'disease' being replaced by 'infection' to better reflect the nature of these conditions. This change in terminology is part of the educational message in the video, aiming to clarify any confusion between the two terms.

💡HPV

HPV, or 'Human Papillomavirus', is a specific type of STI that can cause genital warts. The video mentions HPV as an example of a common STI worldwide, highlighting its prevalence and the potential symptoms associated with it, such as genital warts.

💡Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a bacterial STI that is mentioned in the video as being extremely common. It is often asymptomatic, especially in women, which is why regular testing is emphasized. The video uses chlamydia as an example to illustrate the importance of STI testing even in the absence of noticeable symptoms.

💡Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is another bacterial STI highlighted in the video. It is described as being very common and, like chlamydia, can be asymptomatic. The script discusses gonorrhea to emphasize the need for regular STI testing to prevent complications from untreated infections.

💡HIV

HIV, or 'Human Immunodeficiency Virus', is a viral STI that can lead to AIDS if untreated. The video mentions HIV as one of the viral STIs that are part of the current epidemic, stressing the importance of testing and early detection to manage the disease effectively.

💡Syphilis

Syphilis is a bacterial STI that can have severe health consequences if left untreated. The video script discusses syphilis as an example of an infection that may not present symptoms until it has progressed significantly, underscoring the importance of regular STI testing.

💡Asymptomatic

The term 'asymptomatic' refers to the condition where an individual carries an infection but does not exhibit any symptoms. In the context of the video, many STIs, including chlamydia, syphilis, and HIV, can be asymptomatic, which is why testing is crucial even when there are no apparent signs of infection.

💡Pathological Discharge

In the video, 'pathological discharge' is used to describe an abnormal vaginal discharge that can be a sign of an STI. It is distinguished from 'physiological discharge', which is normal and expected. The script uses this term to illustrate one of the potential symptoms of STIs in women.

💡Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)

PID is a condition mentioned in the video where an STI infects the fallopian tubes and uterus, potentially leading to infertility. It serves as an example of the serious complications that can arise from untreated STIs in women.

💡Epididymitis

Epididymitis is an infection of the epididymis, a part of the male reproductive system, which is mentioned in the video as a potential complication for men with untreated STIs. It illustrates the importance of STI diagnosis and treatment to prevent such conditions.

💡Personal Health Test

The 'personal health test' is a method of STI testing mentioned in the video, which allows individuals to perform tests in the privacy and convenience of their own homes. The script promotes this as an accessible option for individuals seeking to get tested for STIs.

Highlights

Dr. Dominic Rowley introduces himself as the medical director of Let's Go Check Comm.

STIs, or sexually transmitted infections, are currently experiencing an epidemic, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV, and hepatitis.

STIs are also known as STDs, with 'infection' replacing 'disease' in the terminology to better describe the condition.

HPV, or human papilloma virus, is a common STI known to cause genital warts.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea are bacterial STIs that are extremely common worldwide.

Viral STIs such as HIV are also prevalent, along with other STIs like syphilis.

Many STIs have no symptoms, making it crucial to get tested, especially as they can progress without detection.

Up to 80% of women with chlamydia may not show any symptoms, highlighting the importance of testing.

Symptoms of STIs in women can include abnormal vaginal discharge, changes in menstrual bleeding, and pain during or after intercourse.

In men, symptoms of STIs may present as discharge from the penis, painful urination, blood in semen, and testicular pain.

Rectal symptoms and sore throat can also be indicators of STIs, depending on the type of sexual activity.

Untreated STIs can lead to serious complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease in women and epididymitis in men, potentially causing infertility.

The importance of STI testing is emphasized for early detection and prevention of complications.

Testing is recommended for anyone with unusual genital symptoms or new physical changes in the genital area.

Even those in long-term or monogamous relationships should get tested to maintain sexual health.

Various testing options are available, including visiting a family doctor, health clinics, or using at-home personal health tests from Let's Go Check Comm.

Transcripts

hi there my name is dr. Dominic Rowley

and I'm the medical director of let's go

check comm and I'm here today to talk to

you about some of the tests we can offer

you

so an STI is a sexually transmitted

infection these are also called sexually

transmitted diseases

M s T eyes are incredibly common at the

moment and we're in the middle of an

epidemic of many SGI's including

gonorrhea chlamydia syphilis HIV and

hepatitis

many people are confused between the

terminology STI and STD they are

absolutely the same thing SC is used to

be called STDs or sexually transmitted

diseases but scientists over the years

decided to take away the word disease

and replace it with the word infection

so just to clarify SG is and STDs are

the exact same thing

sgi's in the world include HPV which

stands for human papilloma virus this is

also known as genital warts are can

cause genital warts another extremely

common STI in the world is chlamydia

gonorrhea is another bacterial STI which

is extremely common then we have some

viral SGI's such as HIV and there are

also other SGI's such as syphilis

with sgi's and the reason why they are

so common is because many SGI's have no

symptoms at all for example in up to 80

percent of women they don't have any

symptoms at all if they have a chlamydia

infection this is also the case with

other infections such as syphilis and

HIV where you may not know you have the

infection until the disease has

progressed so much later for this reason

it is so important to get tested

for many women a vaginal discharge is

perfectly normal

and we call that a physiological

discharge however in certain cases for

example like if you have an STI you can

develop what we what we refer to as a

pathological discharge this is an

abnormal discharge for example a

discharge of smells unpleasant or that

is different from normal a discharge

that has an unusual color for example

yellow or gray or green some women may

experience an alter an alternation of

their periods so some women will

experience some bleeding after sex or

little experience bleeding in between

their periods other women may experience

pain during or after intercourse these

are all signs of STI in women in men

however the symptoms are slightly

different they may experience a

discharge from the penis they may

experience a stinging or burning when

they urinate occasionally they may also

experience blood in the sperm or pain

after ejaculation and they also may

experience testicular pain or discomfort

depending on what type of sex you are

having you may also experience rectal

symptoms if you are having anal sex for

example a discharge from the anus this

may be green or it may be bloody and you

it may also experience a sore throat if

you are having unprotected oral sex

many SGI's have no symptoms but you may

ask why is this of importance well the

reason this is important is for example

in women women may develop an infection

called pelvic inflammatory disease this

is where the STI infects the fallopian

tubes and the uterus this can lead to

infertility at a later date for men and

then can develop infections of the

epididymis known as epididymitis and

testicular infections and there's also a

link to infertility and man in untreated

sgi's this is why it's so important to

be diagnosed

we advise all of our patients to get

tested firstly if you have any unusual

genital symptoms for example as I

mentioned above any unusual discharge

abnormal bleeding or pain in the genital

area you may also get tested if you

notice any unusual lumps or bumps in the

genital area or new rashes everybody

who's sexually active should be tested

and many patients ask me well I'm in a

long-term relationship should should I

get tested we always advise patients at

the beginning of any relationship to get

tested or if they're having regular

sexual partners to get tested and even

if your are in a monogamous relationship

it is always a good thing for your

sexual health to get a full screen

there are many ways to get tested and

treated for an STI these include

attending your family doctor go into a

public or private health clinic sexual

health clinic or of course going to WWE

let's get a check comm to purchase a

personal health test and you can perform

that in the convenience of your own home