Not all STIs have symptoms, which is why health experts recommend regular testing at a sexual health clinic or with home testing kits.
Common STI symptoms include:
- unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or anus
- pain when urinating
- lumps or skin growths around the genitals or anus
- a rash
- unusual vaginal bleeding
- itchy genitals or anus
- blisters and sores around the genitals or anus
Other symptoms specific to each STI, in addition to those above, are listed below.
Chlamydia: Most people with chlamydia do not notice any symptoms and do not know they have it. Women can experience pain in the stomach, bleeding after sex and between periods. Men may have pain and swelling in the testicles.
Syphilis: The symptoms of syphilis are not always obvious. They include small, painless sores or ulcers on the genitals, anus, or other areas like the mouth, a blotchy red rash that often affects the palms of the hands or soles of the feet, small skin growths, white patches in the mouth, tiredness, headaches, joint pains, a fever and swollen glands.
Gonorrhoea: A thick green or yellow discharge from the vagina or penis, and in women, bleeding before periods. Around one in ten infected men and almost half of women don’t experience symptoms.
Trichomoniasis: In women, trich can cause soreness, swelling or itching around the vagina or thighs, pain during sex and abnormal vaginal discharge that may be thick, thin or frothy and yellow-green in colour. It may also have a fishy smell.
In men, trich can cause pain during ejaculation, needing to urinate more often, thin, white discharge from the penis or soreness, swelling and redness around the head of the penis or foreskin.
Genital warts: Causes one of more painless growth or lump around the vagina, penis or anus, itching or bleeding from your genitals or anus, and a change to your normal flow of pee (for example, sideways).
Genital herpes: Causes small blisters that burst to leave red, open sores around your genitals, anus, thighs or bottom, tingling, burning or itching around your genitals, pain when urinating, and in women, vaginal discharge that’s not normal for her.
Pubic lice: Causes itching in the affected areas, especially at night, black powder in your underwear and blue spots or small spots of blood on the skin caused by lice bites.
Scabies: One of the first symptoms is intense itching, especially at night. The rash can appear anywhere, but it often starts between the fingers. The rash spreads and turns into tiny red dots. It is passed with close skin contact.
Source: NHS