Information on sexually transmitted infections

STIs are transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, in which bodily fluids such as blood, semen or vaginal fluids are transmitted between people. This includes vaginal, oral and anal sex, as well as sharing sex toys. Some STIs, such as herpes, are transmitted by intimate skin to skin contact. 

STIs cannot be transmitted by sharing a toilet with someone, hugging or sharing cutlery.  

Common symptoms include: 

• Pain and discomfort when urinating  

• Itchiness and discomfort in the genitals or anus 

• Discharge from the penis  

• Vaginal discharge that is unusual for you, and may be yellow or green, thicker than usual or have an unpleasant smell 

• Unusual bleeding between periods or bleeding after sex 

• Pain during sex  

• Bumps, warts or ulcers on or around your genital or anus or sometimes in your mouth

• However, you may not experience any symptoms at all. This why it is important to get tested for STIs regularly if you are sexually active  

If you’re sexually active, we suggest getting tested every 3-6 months or every time you change sexual partner. If you have symptoms of an STI we suggest walking into clinic to get tested.  

It’s important to note that there is a period of time between contracting an STI and it showing up positive on a test. These are often referred to as ‘window periods’. This means that if you do a test too soon, the infection may be present in your body but will not show on the test. The window periods are different for different STIs: 

• Chlamydia – two weeks 

• Gonorrhoea – two weeks 

• HIV – 45 days for a lab test, 12 weeks for a rapid test  

• Syphilis – 12 weeks 

• Hepatitis B – 12 weeks 

If you are still within a window period but are experiencing symptoms, please walk in for testing.  

If you test positive for an STI a member of the team will discuss the diagnosis with you and provide you treatment. For some STIs we’ll give you a call after your treatment date to check that you took the medication correctly, and that your symptoms have resolved.

If you have a current sexual partner, it’s important to inform them so that they can get tested and treated. You may also need to inform some of your previous sexual partners about your results so that they can get tested. We encourage you to let them know them yourself, however, we can also inform them for you anonymously for you. This process is called partner notification, you can find out more about it here.

Chlamydia is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). It’s usually easy to cure with antibiotics, however, it can cause painful complications and serious health problems if left untreated. 

Type: Bacterial infection 

Signs and symptoms: Often people won’t experience any symptoms. Some common signs are: pain when urinating, unusual discharge, pain in the lower abdomen, bleeding between periods or after sex. 

Testing: Urine sample, or a genital swab. You may also need a rectal and/or throat swab depending on what kind of sex you’re having.  

Treatment: Course of antibiotic tablets.  

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-chlamydia 

Gonorrhoea is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). It’s usually easy to cure with antibiotics, however, it can cause painful complications and serious health problems if left untreated. 

Type: Bacterial infection  

Signs and symptoms: Often people will experience no symptoms. Symptoms you may experience include:  Green or yellow discharge, pain when urinating, bleeding between periods, bleeding after sex or pain in the testicles. 

Testing: Urine sample, or a genital swab. You may also need a rectal and/or throat swab depending on what kind of sex you’re having.  

Treatment: An antibiotic injection.  

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-gonorrhoea 

Syphilis is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection (STI). It’s not as common as some STIs, however, it has been on the rise in recent years. It develops in three stages, and can be treated with antibiotics, but if left untreated it can cause very serious health problems.  

Type: Bacterial Infection  

Symptoms: No symptoms,  a painless sore on or around the genitals, general body or rash on the palms of hands and soles of feet, swollen lymph nodes  

Testing: Blood test  

Treatment: Antibiotics. Normally an injection, but could be a course of injections or pills, depending on what the clinician decides is right for you.  

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-syphilis 

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that damages your immune system. Once someone acquires HIV, it remains in their body for the rest of their life. There’s currently no cure for HIV, however, treatment enables most people with HIV to live a healthy life with a normal life expectancy, especially if they’re diagnosed soon after getting the virus. After 6 months of successful treatment, a person living with HIV can’t transmit it to sexual partners. This is known as ‘undetectable equals untransmittable’ or ‘U=U’. 

Type: Viral infection 

Testing: Blood test 

Symptoms: often people experience no symptoms. Some people experience a flu like illness a few weeks after acquiring the virus. After this initial illness people often don’t notice any symptoms for several years. 

Treatment: There’s currently no cure of HIV, however there is very effective treatment which means you can have an undetectable viral load. 

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-hiv 

See also our HIV page for further information on HIV care and management.

Type: Hepatitis A is a virus that infects the liver.  It is spread by faecal-oral route which is men who have sex with men can be through rimming.  

Signs and symptoms: Most people have no symptoms.  In some cases tummy upset, fever and jaundice (yellow skin).  

Vaccines:  2 doses, 6-12 months apart – find out more about Hepatitis A vaccines here. 

Testing: Blood test 

Treatment: Usually none required, just supportive care such as keeping well-hydrated. Isolate until two weeks after any jaundice.  

Find out more: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hepatitis-a/  

Type:  Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. It is passed on through unprotected sex, sharing needles or during pregnancy from mother to baby. Most people clear the virus on their own and are then unable to pass it on or catch it again (they become immune). In some people it can become a long-term illness.  

Signs and symptoms: Most people have no symptoms and do not realise they are infected. Mild flu-like symptoms, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or jaundice.  

Testing: Blood test. 

Treatment: Please note we do not provide Hepatitis B treatment at Outpatients East. If we detect Hepatitis B we would refer you to your chosen Hepatology department for treatment. 

Vaccines: 3-4 doses. To find out more about Hepatitis B vaccines click here.

Find out more: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hepatitis-b/   

Type: Hepatitis C is a virus that can infect and damage the liver. It is most commonly spread through contact with blood of an infected person through sharing needles.  It is also spread through unprotected sex or exposure to infected body fluids.   

Signs and symptoms:  No symptoms.  Mild flu-like symptoms such as loss of appetite, nausea, joint pains and tiredness. Some people develop long-term hepatitis C with symptoms of a damaged liver (nausea, tiredness, weight loss, jaundice – yellow skin), which if it is not treated eventually leads to liver failure. 

Testing: Blood test 

Vaccines: No vaccine available 

Treatment: Please note we do not provide Hepatitis C treatment at Outpatients East. If we detect Hepatitis C we would refer you to your chosen Hepatology department for treatment.  

Find out more: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hepatitis-c/  

Genital herpes is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). It’s caused by a virus called herpes simplex. Herpes infection is very common, and many people have the virus without knowing it. Most people with genital herpes will only get mild symptoms but some people can experience painful symptoms. 

Type: Viral infection 

Symptoms: During an outbreak you might experience flu-like symptoms and painful ulcers or sores.  

Treatment: Herpes is a self-limiting condition, and the body will self-manage outbreaks. Antiviral medication can be given to ease symptoms.  

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-herpes 
Herpes Virus Association: https://herpes.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PIL.pdf 

Genital warts are the most common viral sexually transmitted infection (STI). They’re caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) which can be passed on during sexual contact. Not everyone who has the virus develops genital warts. For most people, including those who develop warts, the virus will be cleared from the body over time. It’s rare for genital warts to cause any long-term health problems. 

Type: viral infection  

Symptoms: Small growths or bumps in and around the genital or anal area 

Test: An examination by the doctor or nurse 

Treatment: There is a range of treatment of for genital warts including applying a cream or cryotherapy (freezing treatment).  

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-warts 

Mycoplasma Genitalium, often known as MGen, is a bacterial sexually transmitted infection. Many people clear the infection naturally and experience no symptoms, but some people experience symptoms. MGen can be treated with antibiotics.    

Type: Bacterial infection  

Symptoms: pain when urinating, pain in the testicles, pain in the lower abdomen, discharge from the penis, usual vaginal discharge, bleeding between periods or after sex.  

Testing: Urine sample, or a genital swab. You may also need a rectal and/or throat swab depending on what kind of sex you’re having.  

Treatment: A course of antibiotics  

Find out more: https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/mgen_pil_mobilepdf_02.pdf 

Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) is a sexually transmitted infection caused by a tiny parasite. It can infect the vagina and the urethra (tube you pee from). Many people won’t have symptoms, especially men or people with a penis.  It’s sometimes called trichomonas, trichomoniasis or trich. 

Type: Parasite  

Signs and Symptoms: A change in discharge, may be frothy and yellow, or have strong smell. Discharge from the penis that may be thin and white, itching and irritation around the urethra, pain when urinating.  

Testing: Genital swab or a urine sample. 

Treatment: A course of antibiotics  

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-tv 

Scabies is caused by tiny parasitic mites. They’re smaller than a pinhead and burrow into the skin and lay eggs. A more severe and uncommon form of the condition occurs when there are many mites in the skin. This is called crusted scabies, and can affect older people and people with certain illnesses, such as HIV. Getting scabies is common. Anyone can get and pass it on. It’s usually easy to treat. 

Type: Parasite  

Signs and Symptoms: Intense itching, which is more intense at night. Raised, itchy rash or spots.   

Testing: Examination by a doctor or nurse. 

Treatment: A special cream or lotion 

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-scabies 

Pubic lice are tiny parasitic insects that live in coarse body hair, such as pubic hair. They’re yellow-grey, about 2mm long and have 6 legs. They’re often known as crabs. Pubic lice are different from head lice and aren’t found in the hair on your scalp. Getting pubic lice is very common and is nothing to do with hygiene or cleanliness. They’re usually easy to get rid of. 

Type: Parasite  

Signs and symptoms: Itching and inflammation in the affected area. Blue or red dots, from lice bites, black powder in your underwear 

Testing: Examination by a clinician   

Treatment: Specialist shampoo, cream or lotion 

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-pubic-lice 

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) can develop when the usual balance of bacteria in the vagina changes. BV is the most common cause of unusual vaginal discharge. 1 in 3 people with a vagina get it at some time. People with a penis don’t get BV. 

Causes: Imbalance of bacteria in the vagina 

Signs and symptoms: Changes to your vaginal discharge, it may become thinner, watery, grey or white with a strong, fishy smell. 

Testing: Vaginal swab or examination by a clinician  

Treatment: Antibiotics tablets, or sometimes a gel or a cream. 

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-bv 

Non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) is usually only diagnosed in people with a penis. It’s very common and is usually easy to treat and cure. Urethritis means that the urethra (tube you pee from) is inflamed (painful, red or sore). Non-gonococcal means the urethritis hasn’t been caused by the sexually transmitted infection (STI) gonorrhoea. It’s usually caused by another STI, but the exact cause isn’t always found. The NGU information on this page only applies to people with a penis. 

Causes: Bacteria, including STIs, or by other irritants, such as like soap getting in the urethra or by friction from sex or masturbation.  

Signs and symptoms: Unusual discharge from the penis, pain when urinating, pain in testicles, itching and burning at the end of the urethra.  

Testing: You may have an examination by a clinician, you may also be asked to give a urine sample or a swab from the urethra  

Treatment: Antibiotic tablets  

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-ngu 

Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is an infection of the female reproductive system, which includes the womb, fallopian tubes and ovaries. 

Causes: Bacterial infections that have spread from the vagina to the reproductive organs   

Signs and symptoms: Pain around the pelvis and lower tummy, pain when urinating, periods which are more painful and/ or heavy than is usual for you, deep pain in the pelvis during sex, abnormal bleeding such as between your periods or after sex  

Testing: Examination by a doctor or nurse 

Treatment: A course of antibiotic tablets 

Find out more: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pelvic-inflammatory-disease-pid/  

Thrush is caused by a yeast fungus. It’s sometimes called candida or candidiasis. It’s not a sexually transmitted infection but it can develop after you’ve had sex. Thrush can develop in and around the vagina, vulva, penis, or anus. It’s a common cause of unusual vaginal discharge. 3 out of 4 people with a vagina will have thrush at some time. People with a penis can get thrush but it’s not common. 

Cause: fungal infection 

Signs and symptoms: pain when urinating, itching, burning and discomfort in the genitals, unusual white discharge from the vagina or the penis which may be thick and look like cottage cheese. 

Testing: A physical examination, or if needed a genital swab 

Treatment: You may be given pills, antifungal cream or pessaries (a tablet that you put in your vagina) 

Find out more: https://pi.fpa.org.uk/bhrhospitals-nhs-uk-sti-thrush