Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) fall into three categories; bacterial, viral and parasitic. They are easily spread through close physical contact including vaginal, anal and oral sex, and even skin-on-skin contact. The most common STIs in the UK are HPV (genital warts), gonorrhoea and chlamydia and with the vast majority of STIs rarely showing any symptoms making it essential to get tested periodically and get treatment when required.
There's no need to rush to the doctors if you have an STI. To obtain treatment for a sexual infection, you can do so online by completing a 5-minute consultation to be reviewed by our doctor. This is simply to ensure the treatment is correct for you. Order before 4.30pm Monday-Friday and you will get your treatment the next day. Get your package delivered to work or your home address discreetly without any disruption to your life.
Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK, due to the fact that the majority of cases are symptomless (asymptomatic). If left undiagnosed or untreated, a chlamydia infection can result in long-term health problems...
Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted infection that affects an estimated 70% of the UK population. It is caused by either the herpes simplex virus 1 (HS...
Genital warts are highly contagious – an infected person has a 60% chance of passing on the infection to a partner after sexual contact. It is therefor...
Small, fleshy growths (warts) on:
Small, fleshy growths (warts) on:
Bacterial vaginosis – also known as BV or Gardnerella vaginitis – is the most common form of bacterial vaginal infection in the UK.
An outbreak of BV is treated with prescription antibiotics. These are available from HealthExpress after completing an online consultation. For further infor...
Discharge that is:
Ureaplasma urealyticum is a common bacteria that usually causes little to no symptoms. If it does, it can result in some discomfort such as pain and discharge in the genital area. It can be treated antibiotics that you can order online at HealthExpress.
Mycoplasma genitalium is a sexually transmitted infection. It is often transmitted alongside other conditions such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea.
Mycoplasma genitalium (or MGen) is one...
Non-specific urethritis (NSU) is characterised as any case of urethra inflammation and infection that is not spread by the STI gonorrhoea. NSU primarily affects men, although women can also develop the infection.
Non-specific urethritis can be easily treated with a dose of antibi...
Trichomoniasis is an STI caused by a parasite known as trichomonas vaginalis (TV). Over 65% of those infected show no visible symptoms. TV affects a man's urethra and prostate gland and a woman's urethra and vagina.
7.4 million cases of TV are treated every year. Fortunately, the condit...
Sexually transmitted infections (more commonly referred to as STIs or STDs) are infections transmitted through close, intimate contact. The vast majority of the time, they are spread through sexual activity, however there are some exceptions to the rule. For example, genital herpes is classed as an STI, however there is a minute chance it can be caught through sharing objects such as razors and towels.
Types of STIs can be split into three categories; bacterial, viral and parasitic. Some are far more common than others due to their highly contagious nature.
The number of people catching STDs and STIs has been consistently rising since the 1990s. According to the NHS, nearly 207,000 people in the UK tested positive for the most common sexually transmitted infection, chlamydia, in 2012 whilst 32,279 people contracted their first bout of genital herpes in 2013. Recent statistics have shown that STI consultations in Europe have continued to rise over the years.
"Most STIs are often asymptomatic (they have absolutely no symptoms) - as many as 70% of women and 50% of men who have an STI don't show any symptoms making it vital to get checked out if you've have unprotected sex."
Bacteria
Viral
Parasitic
Conditions often mistaken for a sexually transmitted infection
Mistaken STIs are conditions associated with sexual health, but aren't classed as sexually transmitted infections. Some of these 'faux' STIs have similar symptoms as well. For example, the itchiness and burning could be an UTI or thrush.
*HealthExpress is able to offer treatment for the following STIs. Please click the links for more information or treatment.
A sexually transmitted infection (STI) is defined by the existence of bacteria, germs or parasites in the body and doesn't necessarily result in the disease.
Another easy comparison is the presence of symptoms; an STD (or any sort of disease) will always reveal its symptoms whereas the vast majority of STIs will not.
Whilst the two terms do essentially stand for the same thing, the term STI is a more accurate representation for what is most commonly an infection, rather than a disease.
Therefore professionals have been more partial to stating sexually transmitted infections.
In most cases you will not experience any symptoms at all, especially for bacterial infections. This makes it even more important to be tested if you're sexually active, and practice safe sex with barrier methods such as condoms and dental dams whenever necessary. If you're experiencing STI symptoms, you shouldn't panic; most are completely curable with the right course of medication.
The symptoms you're experiencing will be dependant on the STI. For example, genital warts will be the appearance of warts that may itch but are more often than not painless, whilst unusual discharge is associated with bacterial infections such as chlamydia.
For bacterial and viral infections, symptoms can vary:
Bacterial STIs can be cured with antibiotic treatments such as Azithromycin or Doxycycline.
Viral infections will always show symptoms eventually. These symptoms may not manifest straight away and sometimes they may take months, or even years to appear. They cannot be cured but the symptoms will lie dormant most of the time and when they appear, they can be managed quickly and effectively with the right treatment.
Genital herpes symptoms include:
We offer 3 treatments for genital herpes; Valtrex, Famvir and Aciclovir.
Genital warts symptoms include:
We offer 3 treatments for genital warts; Aldara, Condyline and Warticon.
Many men don't encounter any STI symptoms, especially for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, hepatitis B, herpes, trichomoniasis and HPV. However, common symptoms can be:
Women tend to have more symptoms than men. It gives a clear indication you require treatment, which will clear up any discomfort swiftly:
It's worth mentioning that you may not experience all of the following symptoms for each STI. If you experience any signs, or others that concern you, you should seek medical help immediately. Alternatively, check out our STI symptoms (STI gallery) to pinpoint which STI you may have before consultation:
STIs can be highly contagious and they can be present in semen, dirt, blood, vaginal secretions and occasionally saliva. The vast majority of the time, people will catch an STI through penetrative sex including vaginal and anal sex, however there are other ways to be aware of.
Yes, sexually transmitted infections (STI) and sexually transmitted diseases (STD) can be spread through all sexual activity. Anyone who is sexually active and not taking the correct precautions is at risk of catching an STI, and some infections are more common than others.
It is highly unlikely that common physical contact will cause an STI because as bacteria or parasite do not survive for long after leaving the area of infection. If there is a high level of contact, dry humping (also referred to as dry sex or frottage) for example, this can give you certain STIs like genital warts, genital herpes (HPV), crabs, molloscum contagiosum and syphilis.
Sharing devices such as sex toys can also lead to an infection if the person you are sharing with has an STI. It's worth mentioning that not cleaning your sex toys can also lead to conditions such as thrush, or any other skin condition, as bacteria thrives in moist conditions.
Whilst this is also highly unlikely, items such as toothbrushes, razors, cups and towels can harbour STIs and transfer them from person to person.
Many people are unaware of the unusual ways a sexually transmitted infection can be caught. HealthExpress have a helpful infographic that can help: Weird Ways To Catch an STI.
Although the likelihood of getting a sexually transmitted infection increases with multiple sexual partners, it only takes one occasion for you to contract an infection or disease.
If you happen to be experiencing one or more symptoms and are embarrassed or unable to visit your doctor, then try our HealthExpress STI symptom checker before seeking additional treatment:
Bacterial STIs are often treated with a course of antibiotics and can be completely cured. Viral STIs like HIV and genital herpes can't be cured, but they can be treated and very manageable. Some antibiotics are prescribed as a one-off dose, whereas others might be prescribed as a course of treatment. What prescription you are issued will depend on what STI you've been diagnosed with and how severe your case is.
With all medication, it is advised to complete the entire course even if your symptoms have disappeared half way through.
Treatment is an essential aspect to subduing and eliminating STIs, however you can help the medication be even more effective by taking at a similar time every day and following the correct procedure. This will vary depending on the course of treatment you're taking and you should always read the patient leaflet before taking.
It's important to get treatment as soon as possible to avoid lasting health complications.
Other conditions such as Ureaplasma Urealyticum, which often appear alongside the more commonly known STIs, are also treatable.
The easiest way to prevent STIs is by practising safe sex. Whilst it is important to note that condoms and dental dams aren't effective 100% of the time (parasitic and viral STI can be present around a certain area such as the thighs and anus rather than solely localised to the genitals), they make the chance of contracting an infection very slim. If you are sexually active on a regular basis, especially with different partners, STI testing is smart and will help you avoid the consequences of an infection, or any symptoms that may occur further down the line.
It's important to get tested as STIs left untreated can cause damage to your reproductive organs and play a part in the development of other health problems, such as epididymitis, pelvic inflammatory disease and cervical cancer.
If you think you have an STI (STD), have had unprotected sex or would simply like a check up then you can get tested in a number of ways:
Sexual health clinic or GUM clinics - Free walk-in services are available across the UK. For your local clinic, you can search the NHS services for opening times. Most also offer a text service now, which means you can book yourself into a specific slot. Whilst your GP will seldom order a full STI test, the STI clinics have brilliant resources and friendly experienced staff. One downside is that STI and GUM clinics don't offer specific appointment times, and you're advised to leave a period of 2 hours as your wait time. However it is free, completely confidential and considered essential and very smart.
For those in Monday-Friday employment it can be difficult to find the time however for a test once or twice a year, in the grand schemes of things, it doesn't take much.
GP surgeries - Some GP surgeries offer STI testing however this will be basic and often your doctor will advise you to visit a sexual clinic instead. You will need to double check with your particular practice before booking. In terms of the human papillomavirus (HPV), abnormal cells will turn up in your pap (smear) test and you will require more frequent testing (once or twice a year).
Pharmacies - Some pharmacies, including Boots, offer free tests for chlamydia and gonorrhoea under the age of 25, however this doesn't include tests for viruses such as the human papillomavirus, which affects 90% of sexually active people in the UK.
Alternatively if you already know what STI you have, if you're experiencing a recurrent outbreak for example, see the link below to our STI treatments page, or head to 'Types of STI' and click on the relevant infection.
At HealthExpress, we offer treatment online for eight STIs; chlamydia, ureaplasma urealyticum, mycoplasma genitalium, non-specific urethritis, genital herpes, genital warts and trichomonas vaginalis.
Our treatment also extends to conditions linked to sexual health, including thrush (for male and female), bacterial vaginosis (BV), cystitis and the herpes virus.
How to recognise genital warts symptoms
Reviewed by Dr. Anand Abbot