Having an untreated sexually transmitted disease (STD) can have serious long-term consequences. Without proper treatment, STDs can grow unchecked in the body and cause potentially life-threatening diseases. For instance, a person with HPV may develop cervical or anal cancer, while syphilis can lead to blindness, dementia, and damage to the heart or kidneys. If left untreated, syphilis can be fatal and gonorrhea can cause infertility.
Fortunately, non-viral STDs such as chlamydia and gonorrhea can be cured. However, they often have no symptoms or the symptoms may come and go, making it appear as if the infection has gone away when it hasn't. To know your STD status, you must get tested. Self-diagnosing an STD based on symptoms is not reliable and won't tell you if the infection is still present.
Getting tested is the only way to uncover a problem and get treatment. If there is any chance that you have an STI, visit a sexual health clinic or family doctor for a confidential and free checkup. Gonorrhea is an STD that can cause an infection in the genitals, rectum, and throat. It is especially common among young people aged 15 to 24. Men may also get trichomoniasis but usually have no symptoms and are not tested for it as part of routine STI screening. Trichomoniasis is the most common curable STD in the US, with an estimated 3.7 million people infected at any given time - 70 percent of whom have no symptoms.
