U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Office of Public Health and Science — Office of Population Affairs

Teen Talk #2

Commonly Asked Questions About

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

(STDs)

The Basics

What is an STD?

STD stands for "sexually transmitted

disease." STDs are infections that are

passed from person to person during

sex (vaginal, oral, or anal). Some STDs

are curable, while others are not. It is

estimated that 19 million new cases of

STDs occur in the United States every

year. Millions of these new cases occur

among teens.

Who can get an STD?

Anyone who has sex can get an STD. 

How do I know if I have

an STD?

Since many STDs do not have any

obvious symptoms, the only sure way to

know is by being tested. 

Do condoms protect me

from getting an STD?

Condoms can reduce your risk of

getting some STDs if used the right way

every single time you have sex. But a

condom protects only the area it covers.

For example, HPV (the most common

STD) can infect areas that are not

covered. So you should not expect a

condom to fully protect against all STDs.

What kind of condom

provides the best

protection from STDs?

Plastic condoms (made from

polyurethane) provide some protection,

but not as much as latex condoms.

And “skin” condoms (made from animal

membrane) don’t protect you at all.

Abstinence—not having sex of any

kind—is the best protection. It's the only

100 percent sure way to avoid getting

an STD.

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Talk

Chlamydia

Discharge from the genitals.

Burning with urination.

In females, lower abdominal and/or

back pain, and pain during sex.

3 out of 4 infected females and 1 in 2

infected males have no symptoms.

Gonorrhea

Discharge from the genitals.

Burning or itching during urination.

Pelvic pain.

Sore throat.

Anal discharge and itching.

Females frequently have no symptoms.

Syphilis

Painless sores on genitals (10 days to

3 months after infection).

Rash (3 to 6 weeks after sores appear).

HIV/AIDS

No symptoms may appear for years

until symptoms of AIDS occur.

HPV

Genital warts (sometimes warts are

not visible).

Most people with HPV have

symptoms. That includes people

infected with the types of HPV linked

to cervical cancer.

Genital Herpes

Itching, burning, or pain in the genital

area.

Blisters or sores (sores always heal

but can reappear throughout your life).

If you experience any of these

symptoms, go to a doctor or

clinic as soon as possible to be

tested and treated!

What are the

symptoms of

common STDs?

Who can I talk to?

Your parents or trusted adult:

Whether or not you are sexually active,

you may want to talk to your parents or

other trusted adults who can help you

find medically accurate information about

STDs, contraception, and condoms.

Parents are a great source of information,

and they can help you work through the

many issues you are faced with when

thinking about having sex.

Your doctor or health care provider:

If you are sexually active, or are

thinking about having sex, you may

want to talk to your doctor or other

health care provider about getting

effective contraception, using a condom

correctly every time you have sex, and

being tested for STDs.

Your partner (boyfriend, girlfriend):

You may want to talk to your partner—

preferably before you have sex—about:

your relationship, whether to have sex

or to wait, your sexual and disease

histories, and protecting yourselves by

using a condom correctly every time

you have sex. Even if you and your

partner have already had sex, these

issues are important to discuss.

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For additional copies, please contact: Office of Population Affairs Clearinghouse

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Web site: http://www.hhs.gov/opa/pubs/index.html

Prevention

How can I prevent getting an STD?

Abstinence (not having sex, including vaginal, oral, and anal

sex) is the best and only 100 percent effective way to

prevent getting an STD. Even if you have had sex, returning

to abstinence is the best way to protect yourself. For sexually

active people, the next best way to prevent infection is to

USE LATEX CONDOMS the right way every single time you

have sex. Latex condoms can help protect against some

STDs including HIV, but they don't provide perfect protection.

If I am taking birth control

pills, can I still get an STD?

Yes. Birth control pills only protect against pregnancy, not

STDs. People who take birth control pills or use hormonal

injections, patches, implants, or rings to prevent pregnancy

should also use latex or plastic condoms. 

What should I do if I think I

might have an STD?

If you think you have been exposed to an STD, you should

go to a clinic or doctor as soon as possible to be tested and

treated. Health departments, which diagnose and treat STDs,

are located in almost every county and city. They provide

confidential information and will help answer any questions

you have about STDs.

Should I have a checkup?

Anyone who is sexually active should have routine checkups

that include tests for STDs. The more partners you have, the

greater your risk of exposure to an STD.

Common Myths

Myth: If I don’t have symptoms,

that means I don’t have an STD.

Fact: You can be infected with an STD and not know it. The

only sure way to know if you have an STD is by being

tested.

Myth: HIV/AIDS is the only STD

that can’t be cured.

Fact: STDs caused by viruses—genital herpes, genital

warts, and HIV/AIDS—cannot be cured, although some

medications may reduce the severity and/or delay the

appearance of symptoms. STDs caused by bacteria (like

chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis) can usually be cured

with antibiotics. If they are not treated early, serious longterm problems can develop, like pain and infertility.

March 1998, Updated December 2008

Where can I get more

information?

Call CDC's National Prevention Information Network (NPIN)

at 1-800-458-5231 or visit http://www.cdc.gov/std/.

For condom use, also visit:

http://www.fda.gov/oashi/aids/condom.html

http://www.ihs.gov/NonMedicalPrograms/NC4/pe/documents/

Condom%20sense.pdf

What can happen if I

get an STD?

Gonorrhea and chlamydia: In females, these two

STDs can cause the following serious health

problems if not diagnosed and treated early:

 Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) can damage

fallopian tubes and make it difficult or impossible

to have a baby, a problem called "infertility."

 Constant pain in the lower abdomen.

 Tubal pregnancy, also called ectopic pregnancy,

a condition in which the pregnancy grows in the

fallopian tube instead of in the uterus. This

problem is dangerous and requires immediate

medical care.

HPV: Some types can cause genital warts, and

other types can cause cervical cancer.

Syphilis: This STD can cause blindness, heart

disease, mental illness, joint damage, and death, if

not diagnosed and treated early.

HIV: Certain STDs, like syphilis and herpes, can

increase the risk of getting and spreading HIV.

Males and females who are infected with STDs

can spread the infection to their partners. If

pregnant, women can then spread the infection

to their babies.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Office of Public Health and Science

Office of Population Affairs