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An STI is any infection that can be passed from one person to another through genital contact or vaginal, oral and anal sex.
When it comes to avoiding STIs full-stop, celibacy is the only guaranteed solution. Wearing a condom, however, and limiting your number of sexual partners can reduce the chances of contracting an STI.
Here are the facts about some of the most common STIs:
Chlamydia
Nicknamed the silent STI because its symptoms are mild to non-existent, chlamydia can have a serious effect on, and even permanently damage, a woman's reproductive and overall health, especially if left untreated. One third of women with untreated chlamydia go on to develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) - the dominant cause of chronic pelvic pain, infertility and ectopic pregnancy. In severe cases, men and women with chlamydia can develop arthritis.
How do you catch it?
• Through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex, or genital contact with an infected partner
• An infected person may not have symptoms of chlamydia, but can still infect a partner without knowing it
• Genital chlamydia cannot be caught by casual contact, such as sitting on toilet seats or swimming in public pools
• Pregnant women can pass on the infection to infants during birth
How do you know that you have it?
• Most people are unaware of their infection. Up to 50 per cent of infected men and 70 per cent of women are asymptomatic (they show no symptoms)
• Women may experience unusual vaginal discharge, bleeding between periods, painful urination and lower abdominal pain
• Men may experience discharge from the penis, burning and itching in the genital area and painful urination
• Symptoms may persist, but in some cases they may only last for a few days and then disappear. If symptoms do occur, they start around one to three weeks after infection
Will it affect my chances of having children?
Yes, if it leads to PID.
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