STDs, or sexually transmitted diseases, are passed from person to person through unprotected sex (sex without a condom) with an infected partner. They are caused by viruses or bacteria and include syphilis, gonorrhea, Chlamydia, genital warts, herpes, HIV/AIDS, and others.
You are at risk for an STD if ?you have ever engaged in unprotected sex, even oral sex, or you have more than one sexual partner. The only way to know for sure if you have an STD is to get tested.
Anyone can get an STD. Many STDs have no symptoms, so you may not know you have one. And you can’t always tell if your partner has one, either. A common sign for some STDs is a sore or rash on the sex organs that may drip. But again, many STDs have no outward signs.
People with STDs can spread them to their sex partners. STDs are serious. If left untreated, different STDs can ?cause blindness, cause infertility, give you painful and embarrassing sores, make it easier for you to get more serious diseases like HIV/AIDS, or can even cause death.
And they hurt more than just you and your partner. A woman can pass an STD on to her baby during childbirth.