Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HPV can all create an unpleasant experience. Even though chlamydia/gonorrhea is the most common, it can go unnoticed. Symptoms that are noticeable though include yellow discharge, green discharge, burning, and itching.Syphilis is another STI that can go unnoticed because it can be painless. Since symptoms aren’t there it will continue to get worse and sores can eventually pop up. These sores will start to show a red or brown color. They can eventually grow large and even turn a grey color. People may notice muscle aches, weight loss, hair loss, and a sore throat. Even though these symptoms mahy go away, later in life it can creep back up with fatal consequences. The latent stage can cause nerve, brain, organ, and heart failure. Human papillomavirus can cause long term effects such as genital warts and cervical cancer. Some people may be uncomfortable getting tested frequently because they think their doctors or peers will think of them in a negative way. There’s nothing wrong with getting tested because sex is normal and if you are positive for an STI, people shouldn’t think of you in a different way. There are people that get an STI the first time they have sex. There are many places around Indy that do little or no cost testing for everyone. For example the Bell Flower Clinic provides $20 testing and treatment for anyone with or without insurance with same day visits. STI’s pose many different health risks for people which is why it is important to get tested. Because of this, yearly STI testing should be normalized for everyone!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Indy chapter.