Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)

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Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), formerly known as venereal diseases, more than 25 infections passed from one person to another primarily during sexual contact. STIs are among the most common infections known—more than 15 million people in the United States become infected with one or more STIs every year. The United States has the highest STI rate in the industrialized world—roughly half of all Americans become infected with an STI before the age of 35. Despite the prevalence of STIs, studies show that many people are unaware of their risks for contracting an STI or the serious, and sometimes deadly, health consequences that may result from an untreated infection.

Some STIs, such as gonorrhea or chlamydia, may cause no symptoms. People who do not know they are infected risk infecting their sexual partners and, in some cases, their unborn children. If left untreated, these diseases may cause debilitating pain or may destroy a woman’s ability to have children. Some STIs can be cured with a single dose of antibiotics, but many, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), are incurable. People with these diseases remain infectious to others for their entire lives.

See also: How STI are Transmitted

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