If you’ve ever had sex, then you are at risk of having contracted an STD. In fact, it’s a safe bet that you could actually have an STD and not even know it. While STDs often do show noticeable symptoms in both men and women, just as often STDs can show no symptoms at all. Even worse, these symptoms can be so mild even if they do occur that they can be ignored or believed to be something far less serious. The only way to know for sure is to get tested, and to believe that STDs can be silent and show few symptoms in the first place. Get tested, plain and simple, so you can keep from potentially spreading an STD to someone else, and protect your own sexual health.
STD symptoms typically show themselves more readily in women than in men, but both sexes can contract an STD and show no sign or symptoms of the STD at all. Or, the STD can be contracted and take months or years to become an issue. That’s why getting tested for STDs is so important. If you have sex, even if you’ve only ever had one partner, getting tested for STDs is the only way to know for sure. Here are common STDs that may show no symptoms at all!
Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of the genital tract. Typically, chlamydia should begin to show symptoms within a few weeks of contracting the STD, but these symptoms may be so mild that they go unnoticed. Symptoms of chlamydia (if they arise at all, some early infections have no signs), are typically lower abdominal pain, pain in the testes in men, discharge in both the vagina and penis, painful urination, and painful intercourse in women. However, chlamydia often gets overlooked and is diagnosed when it hits advanced stages. This can be serious in women and men.
Gonorrhea is another silent STD that can take months to even show its face after contracting it. While symptoms usually show up a little after a week of contracting this bacterial infection, often this STD will bide its time. Symptoms that are easily ignored with Gonorrhea are pain or burning while urinating, discharge from the penis or vagina that is discolored or even bloody, frequent urinating, or pain during sex.
Believe it or not, you can have genital herpes and never even know it. Some people will have a very noticeable outbreak within a few weeks of contracting the virus, starting with itchiness in the genitals that leads to red bumps that eventually burst, ooze, then crust over. Sounds noticeable right? But even years can pass before the first outbreak occurs. Most people who have genital herpes never even know they have it, as the virus stays dormant in their systems their entire lives and never becomes active. Some people have such a mild outbreak they believe they had simple genital irritation, and some people only get one outbreak their entire lives. While the open sores and rash in the genitals and buttocks is a very telltale sign of this nasty STD, guess what? It’s not the norm to have an outbreak like this. Again, most people who have genital herpes don’t even know they have it. This STD is also very contagious in all its stages, even dormant. So if you think you could never possibly have genital herpes, guess again. If you’ve had sex, you could.
Genital warts can be the same way. Since genital warts can be so tiny you can’t see them, and can often show no symptoms at all, you can contract genital warts and even have them internally or externally and be none the wiser. Genital warts is one of the most common STDs, and when symptoms do arise, they are fairly obvious. You may notice clusters of warts on your genitals, grayish or flesh-colored bumps on your genitals, itchiness, or bleeding after sex. However, this is an STD people think they will know when they see it. Most often though, there is nothing to see, and this STD is very easily spread.
STDs don’t care who you are. You can be extremely hygienic, have a terrific job, drive a fancy car, own a mansion, etc and still have an STD. You can have an education worth bragging about, see your doctor regularly, have picture perfect health, and still have an STD. Unless you get tested for STDs you will never know for sure, and knowing is the best way to protect yourself and any of your sexual partners. The only requisite for having an STD is having sex, period. Get tested, and have peace of mind. Assuming that you would know if you had an STD (Or that you are magically exempt from having one) is no excuse. Get tested for STDs, and protect your health.
Source:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/std-symptoms/ID00053
