The risks and dangers of ignoring your STI

You might wonder what the big deal is. It’s just a little infection. It can get better on its own, right?

Wrong.

The vast majority of STIs don’t get better without treatment. The longer they’re around, the more damage they can cause to your health.

What’s more, if you’re sexually active and have sex with one or multiple partners, you’re more likely to pass on your infection to someone else. This person will be exposed to all the health risks STIs can cause. (Keep reading to find out more about this.)

Without taking the proper action, you can unknowingly cause a lot of harm to other people.

Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI in the world, infecting millions of people all over the world every year.

One of the most common complications of an untreated Chlamydia infection is infertility. During a Chlamydia infection in women, bacteria can spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes, causing a condition called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). PID can cause damage to the fallopian tubes and uterus, leading to chronic pain, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy.

In men, a Chlamydia infection can spread to the testicles and epididymis, causing epididymitis, which can lead to infertility.

Chlamydia is just one infection that can cause infertility. Others include:

• Gonorrhoea
• Mycoplasma
• HIV

The dangers of untreated STIs don’t stop at conditions that affect your reproductive system. They include conditions that can affect your general health.

Certain STIs can affect many systems in your body.

For example, if Syphilis goes untreated long enough, it can enter the tertiary stage. During this stage, the bacteria spread to many different parts of the body, causing damage to the brain, eyes, joints, bones, and more.

Syphilis has been known to cause long-term conditions like blindness, personality changes, seizures, and heart attacks. When a Syphilis infection reaches this stage, it is often fatal.

Some STIs have also been known to cause certain cancers. The human papillomavirus (HPV) has been known to cause abnormal cell damage, leading to a variety of cancers, including:

• Oral cancer
• Cervical cancer
• Vulvar cancer
• Penile cancer
• Anal cancer

And we can’t leave a section about STIs that cause chronic health conditions without talking about HIV.

If left untreated, HIV can result in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). During AIDS, the immune system has been compromised to such an extent that it loses the ability to fight off infections. Infections that could denote AIDS include pneumonia, tuberculosis, and others. Certain types of cancer also become more likely during AIDS.

If you’re pregnant and you get an STI, or if you had an STI before getting pregnant, complications can develop for the baby.

STIs like Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Herpes, and Trichomonas can cause complications during birth. As the baby travels through the infected birth canal, they may become infected, leading to complications like conjunctivitis or pneumonia. Infections with these STIs has also been associated with premature birth and low birth weight.

Some STIs can be passed on to your baby during pregnancy while the baby is still in the womb. These STIs include:

• Syphilis
• HIV
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C
• Herpes
• HPV

STIs can cause serious damage to your health and the health of those you care about. That’s why it’s important to get tested as soon as possible if you think you’ve been exposed to an STI.

If you would like help accessing testing services, call Better2Know at the number above or visit our website to make an online booking. Our Sexual Health Advisors will be able to help you find an STI and clinic that’s right for you.