STIs: Every Type, Signs, Testing, and Prevention
Sexually Transmitted Infection: 5 Diseases That Can Spread Through Unprotected Sexual Intercourse
Unprotected sexual intercourse can increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Learn about 5 common STIs, their risks, and why safe sex is crucial for protecting your health.
Written by Muskan GuptaPublished : September 8, 2025 9:02 AM IST
Unsafe sexual intercourse may expose both the male and female to several sexually transmitted diseases (STIs). Bacteria, viruses and parasites can cause these types of infections and may be transmitted during vaginal, anal or oral sex. Some of the infections are associated with apparent symptoms, but others do not manifest themselves even within months or even years, making the prevention of infection and safe sex within our precautionary practices. Here are five other widespread diseases through which partners can transmit diseases through unprotected sex.
5 Types of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) You Need To KnowHere are the top 5 types of STIs that can spread between partners during unprotected sexual activities:
HIV/AIDSOne of the gravest infections spread during unprotected sex is called Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). The virus compromises the immune system, thus making the body less capable of fighting sickness and illnesses. HIV may eventually develop into Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) without treatment. The initial signs can be fever, fatigue and swollen lymph nodes but most individuals may not be aware of the initial signs.
ChlamydiaChlamydia is a bacterial infection and one of the most dominant STIs in the world. It has no symptoms in many cases, that is why, it is called a silent infection sometimes. The associated symptoms might include painful urination, abnormal discharge, or pelvic pain when present. Chlamydia may cause grave complications that are irreversible like infertility, pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID (PID) in women as well as inflammation of testicles in men, in case left untreated. Luckily, when chlamydia is diagnosed, the condition can be cured easily using antibiotics.
GonorrheaSince people have another name, gonorrhea also is a bacterial STI that activates after unprotected sex. It may strike the genitals, rectum and throat. This can be accompanied by a burning feeling during urination, abnormal discharge, lower abdominal pain. Similar to chlamydia, not all people become symptomatic; however, they are capable of infecting other people. Gonorrhea without treatment will result in infertility and making one HIV prone.
Human Papillomavirus (HPV)HPV is a highly prevalent viral disease transmitted during sexual intercourse between the parties. The HPV has many different strains-- some of which cause warts on the genitals, and others can predispose cancer in cervics, in the anus, or in the throat. The majority of HPV infections may resolve but some may persist resulting in complications. HPV vaccination is one of highly effective methods of protection against strains of the virus that are considered highly dangerous. Screening is encouraged, particularly in women in order to detect early signs of problems related to HPV.
SyphilisSyphilis infection is a bacterial disease that has various stages unless cured. The initial phase is typically painful lesions of the genitals, anus or in the mouth. Without treatment, it progresses to late stages, resulting in rashes, fever, swollen lymph nodes and ultimately involves other vital organs like the brain, heart and nervous system. The cure of syphilis is possible with antibiotics (primarily penicillin), however, it is highly important to prevent long-lasting damage so that the damage should be detected as soon as possible.
Vaccine (as in the case of HPV) and early treatment are also a key factor in preventing complications. Safe sex not only safeguards you, it safeguards your partner too.
FAQs How can I prevent getting an STI?Using protection, regular health checkups, and limiting risky sexual behaviour can help prevent STIs.
What are sexually transmitted infections (STIs)?STIs are infections spread through sexual contact, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
About the Author Muskan GuptaMuskan Gupta is a passionate health journalist with over 4 years of experience; she has worked with leading media organisations like ANI and India TV. Currently employed at TheHealthSite.Com under Zee Media, she brings health stories to life – covering everything ... Read More
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This Little-known STI Is Often Symptomless But Can Lead To Infertility — And It's Grown More Common Than Gonorrhea
Here's another reason to suit up in the sack.
Doctors are sounding the alarm about a little-known sexually transmitted infection taking hold in the US, warning that it can cause serious long-term damage if left untreated.
The problem? Most people don't know they're infected because it often shows no symptoms. To make matters worse, it's growing resistant to antibiotics, sparking fears of a new superbug in the bedroom.
Mgen infections are more prevalent among young Americans. Emil Lime/peopleimages.Com – stock.Adobe.Com What is Mgen?Short for mycoplasma genitalium, it's a bacterial infection that affects both men and women. It most often spreads through vaginal or anal sex without a condom.
"You can also get it if you touch your genitals with infected fingers or by sharing sex toys which are not cleaned or covered with a condom," Abbas Kanani, a pharmacist, told Refinery 29.
Discovered in 1981, there's still a lot doctors who don't know about Mgen. Researchers are currently investigating whether it can be transmitted through oral sex or passed from mother to child during pregnancy.
How common is Mgen?Because most carriers don't show symptoms, the true number of Americans with Mgen is hard to pin down.
Plus, the FDA didn't approve a commercial test until 2019 — and even now, it's still not part of routine STI screenings at sexual health clinics. Most people only get tested if they show symptoms or specifically ask for it.
Experts estimate that 1% to 3% of Americans have Mgen, although rates are much higher in certain groups, like young people. One study found Mgen infections in the US outnumber gonorrhea, but still trail behind chlamydia.
What are the symptoms of Mgen?One of the trickiest things about Mgen is that it often flies under the radar. A 2019 study in the UK found that 94.4% of men and 56.2% of women with the infection didn't show any symptoms at all.
Mgen can cause bleeding after sex or spotting in between periods. Pixel-Shot – stock.Adobe.ComWhen symptoms do appear, they're often vague or easily confused with other STIs, making diagnosis difficult.
"If a women is suffering from persistent vaginal irritation, pelvic pain, bleeding with intercourse, spotting between periods or abnormal vaginal discharge, I would recommend having mycoplasma testing," Dr. Antonio Pizarro, a board-certified ob/gyn, told SELF.
In men, Mgen may cause burning or pain during urination, fluid discharge from the penis and tenderness in the testicles.
What are the risks of leaving Mgen untreated?While the infection often shows no early signs, untreated Mgen can lead to serious complications down the line.
In men, it can trigger urethritis, or painful swelling of the urethra, and lead to epididymitis, which may cause infertility.
In women, Mgen is linked to cervical inflammation and pelvic inflammatory disease, both of which can result in infertility or life-threatening ectopic pregnancies — when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus.
If left untreated, Mgen can damage the reproductive tract, increasing the odds of infertility. Phpetrunina14 – stock.Adobe.ComThe infection has also been tied to pregnancy complications, including miscarriage. One study found that women with Mgen were nearly twice as likely to deliver prematurely.
Worse still, the damage it causes may weaken the body's defenses, making it easier for other pathogens — including the virus that causes HIV — to take hold and spread.
Can Mgen be cured?Yes — but it's getting tougher.
Doctors typically treat MGen with antibiotics, though the CDC warns that medication won't reverse any lasting damage the infection may have already caused.
Adding to the challenge, antibiotic resistance is on the rise. Inadequate treatment or failure to complete the full course of antibiotics can lead to the survival of more resistant strains.
Complicating things further, resistance is on the rise, making some strains harder to clear up. When patients don't complete their full course of antibiotics or receive an ineffective treatment, it allows the strongest bacteria to survive, mutate and spread.
For example, doxycycline — a common first-line antibiotic — works in only about 30% to 45% of cases. Azithromycin, another popular treatment, has seen effectiveness drop below 60% in some studies.
"M. Genitalium has quickly developed resistance to every antibiotic that's been used to treat it," Lisa Manhart, an epidemiologist, told NBC News. "We already have untreatable infections."
If symptoms stick around for more than a few days after treatment, the CDC recommends heading back to your doctor for a check-up.
Blue Waffle Disease Isn't Even A Thing—but People Are Still Freaked ...
It all started as a bait-and-switch meme, according to CNN. In this case, people were shown a picture of an actual blue waffle (the breakfast food) with the text, "bet you can't find me on google image search," per the website Know Your Meme. Upon searching the image, those curious enough to Google it got a graphic image of a blue, diseased-looking (a.K.A., a waffle-like texture) vagina. And chaos-primarily among teens who don't know jack about STDs to begin with–ensued.
Yes, it's 100 percent fake."Blue waffle STD is not a genuine STD because there is no infectious process that would result in the vagina turning blue," says , an ob-gyn at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. "In my years of practice and study, I have seen no documented medical literature where anything of this nature has occurred."
Planned Parenthood even stepped in to clear things up in 2012: "Blue waffle is totally, completely, 100 percent urban legend. It doesn't exist," the organization wrote on a blog post.
ADVERTISEMENTPP even cleared up some of the other symptoms-blue waffle was also thought to cause unusual or smelly discharge, along with itching or burning-saying that, while those symptoms can be connected to a condition called vaginitis (essentially, an irritation of the vagina), the whole "your vagina will turn blue" portion is completely false.
Unfortunately, blue waffle disease picked up steam again in 2013-this time thanks to New Jersey councilwoman Kathy McBride who stated during a Trenton city council meeting that she thought it was a real problem city health officials had to deal with, according to NJ.Com.
"It's already claimed 85 lives and there's a case here in Trenton," she declared, citing that a concerned citizen gave her information. "It is a virus that is 10 times greater at this point than the AIDS virus." Kathy was acting with the best of intentions-but the "concerned citizen" actually turned out to be an April Fool's prankster.
But one more time for the people in the back: The blue waffle STD isn't a thing. It wasn't real in 2010 or in 2013-and in 2018, it's still nothing to worry about. In fact, rather than worry about a disease that turns genitals a different color, the STDs any sexually active person should be aware of often have no symptoms at all, says , an obstetrician and gynecologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.
ADVERTISEMENTOh, you know, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpes, human papilloma virus (HPV, which can cause genital warts as well as cervical/vaginal and vulvar cancers in women), gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis.
"Some of the most serious diseases have no immediate outward signs," says Kolp. "HPV can cause genital warts, which you can see externally. Herpes often causes a painful open sore on the outside of the vagina, and gonorrhea and chlamydia may be accompanied by a vaginal discharge," he says. As for syphilis, initially the STD has no signs, but over time, women can develop a painless ulceration of the vagina or vulva.
If the blue waffle STD has taught you anything, though, it's to seek out medical advice if you have any concerns at all about your sexual health, even if you can't quite put your finger on what's wrong.
"If you notice dramatic changes in the appearance of your genitalia, feel you may have been exposed to an STD, or have any symptoms-such as pain, discharge, burning or itching, to name just a few-schedule an appointment with your physician to get further evaluation and determine the cause," advises Davood.
And if you read anything warning you about the dangers of the blue waffle STD-today, tomorrow or in 10 years' time-it's total BS. I promise, your vagina will never turn blue and waffle-like.
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