In some cases, an STD may be asymptomatic (not show symptoms) because it's latent, or lying dormant in your body. Latent STDs can cause someone to remain undiagnosed until symptoms begin to appear. This may put them at risk for long-term complications.
Some STDs have symptoms, but many don't, so they can go unnoticed for a long time. For example, it can take more than 10 years for HIV symptoms to show up, and infections like herpes, chlamydia, and gonorrhea can be spread even if there are no symptoms.
It depends on which sexually transmitted infection (STI) you have. Symptoms can develop within a few days or weeks, but sometimes they do not appear until months or even years later. Often there are few or no symptoms and you may not know you have an STI.
Laboratory tests can show what, if any, bacterial or viral STIs are present. Blood tests can show if you have a disease that infects the blood. Urine samples can show if you have a bacteria in your urine from an STI. Fluid samples can show if you have active sores and help diagnose the type of infection.
Some refer to chlamydia as a “silent” infection. This is because most people with the infection have no symptoms or abnormal physical exam findings.
Symptoms can occur within 2-14 days after infection. However, a person may have chlamydia for months, or even years, without knowing it.
Complications of Untreated STDs
Chlamydia: Infertility. Syphilis: Blindness, loss of motor skills, dementia, and damage to the heart, brain, eyes, kidneys, and bones. Genital herpes: Bladder problems, meningitis. Hepatitis A & B: Cirrhosis, liver cancer.
What's the most common STD in men? Chlamydia is also the most common STD that affects men. About 578,000 cases were reported in 2017 in just males. Chlamydia doesn't always cause noticeable symptoms, either, especially in men.
A person with primary syphilis generally has a sore or sores at the original site of infection. These sores usually occur on or around the genitals, around the anus or in the rectum, or in or around the mouth. These sores are usually (but not always) firm, round, and painless.
Chlamydia is one of the most common STIs in women under 25 and is known as a “silent” infection, since most people never experience symptoms.
Even though they are generally asymptomatic or dormant, they will still test positive for the STD. Most STDs that are in a dormant stage can be detected with a test. Even though the STD is asymptomatic doesn't mean that it is not present in your system or that it can not be spread through sexual contact.
Latent STDs can cause someone to remain undiagnosed until symptoms begin to appear. This may put them at risk for long-term complications. Chlamydia, hepatitis C, HIV, HSV (herpes simplex virus), and syphilis can all have periods of latency.
The most dangerous viral STD is human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which leads to AIDS. Other incurable viral STDs include human papilloma virus (HPV), hepatitis B and genital herpes.
Because the vagina is moist and has a thin lining, it's easier for a woman to get an STI than it is for a man to get one. Also, a woman is less likely to have symptoms of common STIs — such as chlamydia and gonorrhea — compared with a man.
Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) in Australia, particularly among young people aged between 15 and 25 years. You can reduce your risk of getting chlamydia by practising safe sex, and limiting your sexual partners.
Chlamydia is one of those STIs that people can live with for years without knowing they have it. That's because it's usually symptomless. It's also very common – in 2019 alone, over 23,000 Queenslanders were diagnosed with chlamydia.
Late-stage chlamydia refers to an infection that has spread to other parts of the body. For example, it may have spread to the cervix (cervicitis), testicular tubes (epididymitis), eyes (conjunctivitis), or throat (pharyngitis), causing inflammation and pain.
Without medical intervention, a chlamydia infection can persist for years if gone unnoticed [1].
Although some symptoms can appear within weeks of contact, there have been reports of chlamydia remaining dormant for over twenty years. If you have had recent sexual contact and wonder about chlamydia infections, don't hesitate to test.
As most people do not have symptoms, it is possible the person (who tested positive) could have had chlamydia/gonorrhea from a previous relationship, and has not passed it to their partner yet. It is never 100% that you will pass an STI when you have sex.
If one partner tests positive for chlamydia and the other does not, there are a few possible explanations: The positive test result could be incorrect. The negative test result could be incorrect. The chlamydia might not have transmitted from the person to their partner.
Men rarely have health problems from chlamydia. The infection can cause a fever and pain in the tubes attached to the testicles. This can, in rare cases, lead to infertility. Untreated chlamydia may also increase your chances of getting or giving HIV.
Chlamydia is incredibly difficult to diagnose due to its symptomless nature for 70% of women and 50% of men.
Some conditions can cause discharge or even bleeding from the penis. Gonorrhea produces a white, yellow, or greenish discharge from the penis. Chlamydia symptoms may include a pus-like discharge from the penis, or the fluid may be watery or milky-looking.