Most Common STDs for Women

Most Common STDs for Women

No one wants to think about picking up an STD. The very thought is enough to make most people’s skin crawl, and it’s no wonder that many would rather not educate themselves than face up to the rather gruesome reality of STDs. However, if you’re a sexually active woman, you can’t afford to overlook this danger any longer. That’s because women are under a special threat when it comes to venereal diseases. Often, STDs and STIs are more difficult to identify in females, and worse than that, untreated or latent STDs can cause significant damage to a woman’s body in particular. That’s why we’re going to look at a few common STDs for women today –– so that you can learn what to look for, and what to do if you think you have an STD:

Chlamydia

Young women in particular are at risk for developing chlamydia. Indeed, around five percent of women aged 14-24 will contract chlamydia. And that number may even be higher, since chlamydia is a difficult STI to identify. In fact, it’s dangerous to women in particular precisely because it’s so often asymptomatic. Left untreated, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease –– and even infertility in certain cases.

HPV

Human Papillomavirus is extremely common in both men and women, but especially hazardous in certain cases to females. Indeed, HPV is so ubiquitous, you can spread it through skin-to-skin contact. Most of the time, it’s not dangerous; in fact many men are “silent carriers,” meaning they exhibit no outward signs or symptoms. However, HPV remains the leading cause of cervical cancer. The fact that it, like chlamydia, is so common and difficult to diagnose, further underlines the need to receive regular STD tests.

Trichomoniasis

Trichomoniasis is a mouthful to say, and a pain to deal with. This parasitic STD is (again), more common in women than in men, and can cause vaginal discharge, genital itching, and even premature delivery for women who are pregnant.

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea usually manifests itself most notably in men. In plenty of cases, women won’t experience the traditional symptoms of gonorrhea, (which include, but are not limited to: burning sensation during urination, vaginal discharge, bleeding, anal irritation.) Similar to chlamydia, gonorrhea also can cause pelvic inflammatory disease if left unattended. This is one of the more problematic related issues among common STDs for women.  

Herpes

Women are slightly more susceptible to herpes than men, but that’s not exactly why it poses a more difficult prospect for females. Herpes is usually easy to detect –– blisters forming on or around the genitals tend to attract attention. However, in certain instances blisters can form inside the vagina, and thus be more difficult to notice.