Salt Lake Valley Health Department
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STI/HIV Prevention Program
STI/HIV Prevention
(385) 468-4242
STI Facts
General Information about Sexually Transmitted Infections
Sexually transmitted infections may be referred to as both an STD (sexually transmitted disease) or an STI (sexually transmitting infection).
STIs are infections that can be passed from person to person during sexual activity. Sexual activity may include vaginal, rectal or oral sex or simply intimate skin to skin contact where body fluids are present.
There are currently more than 25 infections that are transmitted during sexual activity, including HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, genital warts, and many others.
Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms of an STI vary by disease, although the following are a few general symptoms that may appear and show a need for a clinical examination:
- Discharge from the penis, vagina or rectum
- Abdominal pain (females)
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
- Frequent urination
- Burning during urination
- Pain during intercourse
- Itching or irritation
- Sores or bumps
- Skin rash
- Swollen or sore testicles
Up to 75% of those infected with an STI have no symptoms and do not know that they are infected!
Complications of having an STI
The consequences of an STI can occur at any time, however the longer an STI goes untreated the more likely it is to result in a long-term complication. The following are a few consequences of having an STI:
- Pelvic inflammatory disease
- Infertility/sterility
- Difficulty getting pregnant
- Complications during pregnancy
- Blindness
- Premature delivery
- Meningitis/encephalitis
- Arthritis
- Prostatitis
Pregnancy and STIs
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all pregnant women get routinely screened during the pregancy for bacterial STIs in order to avoid maternal to child transmission during birth. 
If a pregnant woman is infected with an STI, treatment can be administered to avoid infecting the baby.
If left untreated, the infection may be passed to the baby who may suffer from such consequences as low birth weight, eye infection, lung infection, developmental disorders or premature death.
Treatment
Bacterial STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and others can be treated with antibiotic therapy. It is imperative that the patient avoid all sexual contact for a minimum of 7 days after beginning treatment.
It is also important that sexual partners are treated for the infection in order to avoid a re-exposure to the infection. If a patient is treated, but his or her partner is not treated, the patient will likely become reinfected with the STI almost immediately after sexual contact.