Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STD in the United States, and can infect both men and women. Any sexually active person can get chlamydia through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex. It can cause infections of the genitals, rectum, and throat. It is a very common infection, especially among young people ages 15-24 years. If you are sexually active, you should get tested for chlamydia at least every year.
You should get tested more often if you are:
- A sexually active person younger than 25 years old.
- A sexually active person with new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has an STD.
- A sexually active man who has sex with men. Men who have sex with men should get screened more frequently for STDs, such as at 3-to-6 month intervals.
- A pregnant woman. At-risk pregnant women should get tested early in pregnancy, with repeat testing as needed.
Learn more about chlamydia.
Genital herpes is a common STD caused by two types of viruses: herpes simplex type 1 and herpes simplex type 2. Most people who have herpes have very mild or no symptoms. You may not notice mild symptoms or you may mistake them for another skin condition, such as a pimple or ingrown hair. Because of this, most people who have herpes do not know it.
Genital herpes sores usually appear as one or more blisters on or around the genitals, rectum or mouth. The blisters break and leave painful sores that may take weeks to heal. These symptoms are sometimes called “having an outbreak.” The first time someone has an outbreak they may also have flu-like symptoms such as fever, body aches or swollen glands.
Repeat outbreaks of genital herpes are common, especially during the first year after infection. Repeat outbreaks are usually shorter and less severe than the first outbreak. Although the infection can stay in the body for the rest of your life, the number of outbreaks tends to decrease over a period of years.
Your health care provider should examine you if you notice any of these symptoms.
Learn more about genital herpes.
Gonorrhea can infect both men and women. Any sexually active person can get gonorrhea through unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex. It can cause infections in the genitals, rectum, and throat. It is a very common infection, especially among young people ages 15-24 years. If you are sexually active, have an open and honest talk with your health care provider and ask whether you should get tested for gonorrhea or other STDs.
You should get tested for gonorrhea every year if you are:
- A sexually active person younger than 25 years old.
- A sexually active person with new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has an STD.
- A sexually active man who has sex with men. Men who have sex with men should get screened more frequently for STDs, such as at 3-to-6 month intervals.
- A pregnant woman. At-risk pregnant women should get tested early in pregnancy, with repeat testing as needed.
Learn more about gonorrhea.
Hepatitis A is primarily spread when feces-contaminated objects, food or water enter the mouth. Although anyone can become infected with HAV, if you are able to answer yes to any of the following questions, you may be at increased risk.
- Have you traveled to, or are you from a country where hepatitis A is common?
- Are you a family member or caregiver of a recent adoptee from a country where HAV is common?
- Do you live with someone currently infected with HAV?
- Are you a man who has ever had sex with another man?
- Do you use illegal drugs (injection or non-injection use)?
- Do you have a clotting factor disorder, such as hemophilia?
- Have you had sexual contact with someone currently infected with HAV?
You may not have symptoms if you are infected with HAV. If you believe you may be infected with or have been exposed to HAV, talk to a medical professional to see if you should get tested. A safe and effective vaccine exists to prevent HAV.
Men who have sex with men and have multiple or anonymous partners should get screened more frequently for STDs, such as at 3-to-6 month intervals.
Learn more about the hepatitis A virus and the hepatitis A vaccine.
If you are able to answer yes to any of the following questions, you could benefit from an HBV test.
- Are you a pregnant woman?
- Were you born in the U.S., but not vaccinated against HBV as an infant AND have at least one parent who was born outside of the U.S.?
- Were you born to an HBV-infected woman?
- Are you HIV-positive?
- Are you on immunosuppressive therapy?
- Do you have liver disease of an undetermined cause (i.e. elevated ALT/AST)?
- Do you live with and/or have sex with a person infected with HBV?
- Are you a man who has ever had sex with another man?
- Do you currently or have you ever injected drugs?
- Have you ever exchanged sex for drugs or money?
- Have you ever been in jail or prison?
- Were you the source of a blood or bodily fluid exposure (i.e. needle stick injury)?
- Are you from one of the following geographic regions?
- Africa (all countries)
- Asia (all countries)
- Australia & South Pacific (except Australia and New Zealand)
- Middle East (except Cyprus and Israel)
- Eastern Europe (except Hungary)
- Western Europe (only Malta, Spain, and Indigenous populations in Greenland)
- North America (only Alaska natives and indigenous populations in northern Canada)
- Central America (only Guatemala and Honduras)
- South America (only Ecuador; Guyana; Suriname; Venezuela; and Amazonian areas of Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, and Peru
- Caribbean (only Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and Turks and Caicos Islands)
Those infected with HBV may not have symptoms. It may take up to 9 weeks after exposure to test positive for HBV. If any of the above situations apply to you within the past 9 weeks, you may need to get tested again. HBV testing is not recommended for children younger than 9 months old. A safe and effective vaccine exists to prevent HBV.
Men who have sex with men and have multiple or anonymous partners should get screened more frequently for STDs, such as at 3-to-6 month intervals.
Learn more about the hepatitis B virus and the hepatitis B vaccine.
It is now recommended that all adults from 18 to 79 years old be tested for HCV at least one in their lifetime.
If you are able to answer yes to any of the following questions, you could benefit from being tested for HCV.
- Were you born between 1945 and 1965?
- Are you a healthcare, emergency medical, or public safety worker who has experienced a needle stick, sharps or mucosal exposure to HCV-positive blood?
- Were you born to a woman who was infected with HCV?
- Do you currently or have you ever injected drugs?
- Do you snort cocaine or use other non-injecting illegal drugs?
- Did you receive clotting factor concentrates produced before 1987?
- Were you ever on long-term hemodialysis?
- Do you have persistently abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels?
- Are you HIV-positive?
- Were you notified that you received blood from a donor who later tested positive for HCV infection?
- Did you receive a transfusion of blood, blood components, or an organ transplant before July 1992?
- Are you a man who has ever had sex with another man?
- Have you ever exchanged sex for drugs or money?
- Are you a long-term sexual partner of someone who is infected with HCV?
- Have you ever received a tattoo or piercing under substandard infection control procedures?
- Have you ever been in jail or prison?
There are often no symptoms of HCV until your liver has been severely damaged. The HCV antibody test can detect some infection within 4-10 weeks and nearly all infections by 6 months after an exposure. HCV testing is not recommended for those who are younger than 18 months old. A vaccine for hepatitis C is not currently available.
Men who have sex with men and have multiple or anonymous partners should get screened more frequently for STDs, such as at 3-to-6 month intervals.
Learn more about the hepatitis C virus.
Everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 should get tested for HIV at least once as part of routine health care.
HIV is a virus spread through certain body fluids that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells, often called T cells. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS if not treated. Unlike some other viruses, the human body can’t get rid of HIV completely, even with treatment. So once you get HIV, you have it for life.
People with certain risk factors should get tested for HIV more often. If you were HIV-negative the last time you got tested and answer yes to any of the following questions, you should get another HIV test. These things increase your chances of getting HIV:
- Are you a man who has had sex with another man?
- Have you had sex—anal, oral or vaginal—with an HIV-positive partner?
- Have you had more than one sex partner since your last HIV test?
- Have you injected drugs and shared needles or works (for example, water or cotton) with others?
- Have you exchanged sex for drugs, money, housing, food or other items or needs?
- Have you been diagnosed with or sought treatment for another sexually transmitted disease?
- Have you been diagnosed with or treated for hepatitis or tuberculosis (TB)?
- Have you had sex with someone who could answer yes to any of the above questions or someone whose sexual history you don’t know?
- Have you had unprotected sex?
You should get tested at least once a year if you keep doing any of these things. Men who have sex with men who may benefit from more frequent testing and should be screened more frequently for STDs, such as at 3-to-6 month intervals.
If you are pregnant, talk to your health care provider about getting tested for HIV and other ways to protect you and your child from getting HIV.
Anyone who has been sexually assaulted should get an HIV test as soon as possible after the assault and should consider post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP). nPep is a antiretroviral medication you take to prevent infection after potentially being exposed to HIV. You must start taking nPEP within 72 hours of your initial exposure to HIV for the medication to be effective.
Before having sex for the first time with a new partner, you and your partner should talk about your sexual and drug-use history, disclose your HIV status, and consider getting tested for HIV.
Learn more about HIV.
Human Papillomavirus, or HPV, is a very common virus; nearly 80 million people—about one in four—are currently infected in the United States. HPV transmits through intimate skin-to-skin contact, even from someone without symptoms. You can get HPV by having vaginal, anal or oral sex with someone who has the virus. It is most commonly spread during vaginal or anal sex. HPV is so common that nearly all men and women get it at some point in their lives. It can take years to develop symptoms, which makes it hard to know when you first became infected. In most cases, HPV goes away on its own and does not cause any health problems. When HPV does not go away, it can cause health problems like genital warts and cancer.
Genital warts usually appear as a small bump or groups of bumps in the genital area. They can be small or large, raised or flat, or shaped like a cauliflower. A healthcare provider can usually diagnose warts by looking at the genital area.
HPV cancers include cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, penis or anus. HPV infection can also cause cancer in the back of the throat, including the base of the tongue and tonsils.
Learn more about HPV.
Any sexually active person can get syphilis through unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex. Have an honest and open talk with your health care provider and ask whether you should get tested for syphilis or other STDs. Learn how to recognize the signs of syphilis. You should get tested regularly (at least once a year) if you are sexually active.
You should get tested more often if you are:
- A sexually active man who has sex with men. Men who have sex with men should get screened more frequently for STDs, such as at 3-to-6 month intervals.
- A sexually active person with risk factors such as new or multiple sex partners, or a sex partner who has an STD.
- A pregnant woman. At-risk pregnant women should get tested early in pregnancy, with repeat testing as needed.
- HIV positive
Learn more about syphilis.
