Most Common Asymptomatic Sexually Transmitted Infection (Asymptomatic STIs)
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Asymptomatic Sexually Transmitted Infection. Many STIs have no signs or symptoms. Even with no symptoms, however, you can pass the infections.
Written by Dr.Natthakhet Yaemim (Dr.Deyn) Founding Director.
Last update: 2 March 2021
A lot of people believe that they'd know they'd have a sexually transmitted disease (STD) because they'd notice any STD symptoms. Sadly, that isn't so. The incredible frequency of asymptomatic STDs is one of the factors that makes STDs so common.
The truth is, when STD awareness is based on symptoms alone, most people with a sexually transmitted disease don't even know that they are sick. It is not uncommon for someone to be infected but have no STD symptoms. In other words, they are asymptomatic
Asymptomatic STDs are more common than not. There is a very high prevalence of symptom-free STD infections. People can be, and often are, infected with an STD for many years without knowing it. During that time, if they're not careful, they can pass their disease on to some or all of their sex partners.
There is a High Risk of Infection
STDs aren't transmitted every time people have sex. However, they can get around pretty quickly.
If one infected person has unprotected sex with a new partner each year, and each of them has unprotected sex with one new partner a year, and these partners each did the same, in 10 years the first person could have passed their STD on to over 1,000 people.
If each person has sex with two new partners a year, that number goes up to more than 59,000.
Matter of fact, there are 20 million new STD cases a year in the USA.
What are STIs that mostly show no symptom?
- Chlamydia (A-K)
- Chlamydia (L1-L3 that causes LGV)
- Trichomoniasis
- Herpes (is transmissible even when a person isn’t having an outbreak.)
- HPV (is transmissible even when a person isn’t having a warty lesion.)
- HIV (is transmissible even when a person isn’t having any symptoms.)
- Mycoplasma infections
- Ureaplasma infections
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Screening Is Essential
The only way to tell if you or your sexual partner have an STD is to be tested.5 Before starting a new sexual relationship, both you and your partner should be tested for the most common STDs.
If you aren’t comfortable having your regular doctor examine you, testing can also be done at a family planning or STD clinic. Many clinics even have free, or highly subsidized, tests for people with limited incomes.
But even if your tests come back negative, the best way to keep them that way is to consistently practice safer sex. After all, it can take a while for STD tests to be accurate. In addition, sometimes people have multiple sexual partners, which means there are multiple potential routes for exposure.
What Kind of Screening Does PULSE CLINIC Offer?
Antibody test for HIV, Hepatitis A B C virus, Syphilis
DNA test (NAAT PCR) for 7-14 infections at one test
References
- Malhotra M, Sood S, Mukherjee A, Muralidhar S, Bala M. Genital chlamydia trachomatis: An update. The Indian Journal of Medical Research. 2013;138(3):303-16.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually transmitted diseases. Updated December 7, 2017.
- NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Sexually transmitted diseases. Updated August 6, 2015.
- Planned Parenthood. Get tested.
- Sauerbrei, A. Herpes genitalis: diagnosis, treatment and prevention. Geburtshilfe Frauenheilkd. 2016;76(12):1310-1317. doi:10.1055/s-0042-116494
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Genital herpes — CDC fact sheet (detailed). Updated January 31, 2017.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Condom effectiveness. Fact sheet for public health personnel. Updated March 5, 2013.
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