With many STIs you can be a carrier without showing any symptoms. This is especially common in males however in females, symptoms may show themselves much more frequently but this is not always the case. If you have unprotected sex (without a condom) you are at risk of catching an STI.

Situation: Joanne is 17. She has been on the pill for 2 years. She has just split up from her boyfriend. A friend tells her that her ex-boyfriend has been sleeping around while still going with her. Joanne has been moaning about bleeding in between her periods and told her friend it hurt while having sex, although this hasn't happened before. What should she do?

Solution: Sexually transmitted infections often don't have any signs or symptoms after you have caught them. Joanne has symptoms that could mean that she has an infection called Chlamydia. 

Getting Tested...

To check if you have an STI is simple! All we need is a urine sample or a swab sample which is sent away and tested in a laboratory. To test for Chlamydia & Gonorrhoea you can go to any of the YAS sites without an appointment or to Sexual Health Services Clinics If you would like a full sexual health screening done, ring 01925 662476 to arrange an appointment with Genitourinary medicine (GUM).

Click on the different types of STIs to find out more about them:

Chlamydia  -  Genital Warts -  Syphilis  - Trichomoniasis   -  Pubic lice  - 

Genital Herpes   -  Gonorrhoea  -  HIV -  Hepatitis B