Most Common STDs In Women And Their Symptoms

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections passed through vaginal, anal or oral sex. When it comes to STDs, knowledge is power. The more you are aware of the different signs, symptoms, and treatment action plans the more you can be mindful of your sexual and reproductive health.

An STD Test is the next step to taking good care of your reproductive health. It helps you confirm that you are free of infections and allows you to take necessary precautions during sexual activities. Furthermore, if you are experiencing symptoms of STDs in women, you should get tested right away as it can lead to complications in the future and harm their fertility.

In this article, we will be exploring the most common STDs in women, their causes, and their symptoms in detail. Let’s dive right in!

1. Chlamydia

This is one of the most common STDs in women across the globe. It is caused by bacteria named Chlamydia trachomatis.

Most cases of chlamydia are asymptomatic. However in some cases, patients experience symptoms a few weeks after having intercourse with an affected partner. These include :

• Burning sensation when urinating

• Pain during intercourse

• Unusual, smelling discharge from the vagina

• Lower abdominal pain

• Nausea

• Fever

• Rectal pain, discharge or bleeding

Untreated chlamydia can cause severe complications in women. The infection can spread to your fallopian tubes and uterus, causing Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (infection in the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries). This can result in permanent damage to your reproductive system. You may even experience severe symptoms like infertility, ectopic pregnancy (where the fertilised egg is implanted outside the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes), and chronic pelvic pain.

Moreover, prolonged chlamydial infection leads to reactive arthritis causing significant joint pain and swelling. Therefore, you should talk to your doctor about getting an STD test if you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms. Chlamydia is completely curable if the appropriate antibiotic treatment is administered at the earliest.

2. Gonorrhoea

Gonorrhoea is the second most common bacterial STD in women. It is caused by bacteria named Neisseria gonorrhoeae. The bacteria can infect the mouth, throat, eyes, and all genital areas.

The symptoms of gonorrhoea are quite similar to that of chlamydia. The following signs indicate that you might have acquired gonococcal infection and should get an STD test :

• Burning sensation when urinating

• Unusual discharge from the vagina

• Vaginal bleeding between your periods

• Anal itching or soreness

• Sore throat

Untreated gonorrhoea also causes PID, which can further lead to complications like an ectopic pregnancy or even infertility in the long run. Exposure to such bacterial STDs can also increase the risk of HIV in patients. Additionally, the infection can invade the bloodstream and spread to distant sites in the body causing disseminated gonococcal infection. This can be life-threatening for the patient.

3. Syphilis

Syphilis is also a bacterial STD. This infection is known to be more common in men than in women. It is caused by a bacteria known as Treponema pallidum. Syphilis can be quite dreadful if left untreated. That’s because it gradually progresses from its primary to severe secondary, latent and tertiary stages with time. On a brighter note, it is completely curable if diagnosed and treated during its initial stages.

The symptoms of the primary stage of this condition mainly include open and painless sores around the mouth, anus or genital region. These slowly progress into a rash. The rash in the secondary stage is accompanied by multiple symptoms like swollen lymph nodes, weight loss, fatigue, sore throat, and more.

As the infection advances to the latent and tertiary stages, you start encountering several other symptoms and complications. For example, you could experience paralysis, blindness, hearing loss, or dementia.

4. Mycoplasma Genitalium

The final bacterial infection on our list of common STDs in women is Mycoplasma genitalium. This is the lesser-known condition among all bacterial STDs but can lead to several painful symptoms and complications.

Some common signs of this STD are :

• Unusual vaginal discharge and odour

• Burning sensation while urinating

• Pain during intercourse

• Bleeding between periods

• Abdominal or pelvic pain

This infection is often accompanied by bacterial vaginosis (vaginal inflammation due to bacterial overgrowth). Not just that, untreated infections can also increase the risk of PID, preterm birth in pregnant ladies, and spontaneous abortion.

5. Herpes

Moving on, we dive into one of the most common viral STDs in women - herpes. There are two different viruses that might cause this infection - herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) and herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2).

HSV 1 usually causes oral herpes, but can also result in genital herpes via oral sex. Whereas HSV 2 exclusively causes genital herpes and is not responsible for oral herpes.

Symptoms of oral and genital herpes are quite similar. You may experience the following symptoms around your mouth or genital area depending on the type of herpes infection :

• Pain

• Itching

• Burning

• Cold sore or blisters

• Smelly genital discharge

• Bleeding between periods

• Burning sensation when urinating

Viral STDs like herpes are incurable. However, you can control the outbreaks of this infection with the help of adequate treatment.

6. HPV

Next, we explore the details of another common viral STD in women - HPV. HPV is short for human papillomavirus, which is a family of over 200 related viral genotypes, a few of which can spread through vaginal, anal or oral sex.

There are two types of HPV viruses, low-risk and high-risk. Some low-risk HPV genotypes can cause symptoms like warts around the genitals, anus, throat or mouth. These can be treated successfully through early diagnosis.

However, high-risk HPV genotypes can cause several types of cancer, if left untreated. More than 95% of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV infection. WHO recommends regular screening for cervical cancer and HPV vaccinations to avoid the transmission of these infections.

7. Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis, also known as “trich”, is a parasitic STD caused by Trichomonas vaginalis. This infection is more common in women than in men. Some of the common symptoms of this STD in women are :

• A clear, yellow, green or white vaginal discharge

• Vaginal itching

• Painful intercourse

• Pelvic pain

Trich is completely curable once diagnosed. However, the infection can persist in the body for months or years and make sexual intercourse unpleasant for women. If ignored or left untreated trich can lead to genital inflammation which may increase risk of acquiring HIV infection.

Wrapping Up

STDs in women can be treated and even cured completely with an early diagnosis (except HIV, & HBV) and a doctor’s advice. However, you need to be aware of and acknowledge the symptoms of an infection (if any), get an STD test and consult your healthcare provider. This will not only keep your reproductive and sexual health in good shape but also curb the transmission of these common STDs to your partner.

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