A sore throat after oral sex can be a routine viral or strep infection — or it can be an STI you picked up through the mouth. Throat (pharyngeal) gonorrhea is the most common STI culprit and often cau
Light bleeding or spotting after sex can be caused by several sexually transmitted infections — most often chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis — but it also has common non-STI causes like cervica
A burning sensation without obvious discharge can still point to a sexually transmitted infection. The most common STI culprits are chlamydia, genital herpes, and Mycoplasma genitalium, each of which
Bleeding between periods or after sex can be a sign of an STI — most often chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomoniasis , which inflame the cervix and make it bleed easily. But hormonal birth control, fibr
Several sexually transmitted infections can cause anal or rectal symptoms — most commonly gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes, and syphilis . They show up as rectal pain, itching, discharge, bleeding
An unusual genital discharge most often points to one of a handful of causes: chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, or bacterial vaginosis (BV) — plus common non-STI culprits like yeast infections and
The STIs most likely to cause flu-like symptoms — fever, fatigue, body aches, swollen glands — are HIV, syphilis, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C . Each tends to show up weeks after exposure, not days. B
Genital bumps or lumps are most often caused by one of three STIs — HPV (genital warts), molluscum contagiosum, or genital herpes — but many harmless, non-STI conditions look nearly identical. Because
Several STIs can make you itch down there — genital herpes, trichomoniasis, pubic lice (crabs), and scabies are the usual culprits. But itching is just as often something else entirely: a yeast infect
A handful of sexually transmitted infections can cause joint pain or swelling. The most important are gonorrhea (which can spread to the joints and cause disseminated gonococcal infection), chlamydia
Lower back pain by itself is almost never an STI — it's usually a muscle or joint problem. The one sexually transmitted condition that genuinely refers pain to the lower back is pelvic inflammatory di
Mouth or throat symptoms after oral sex can come from a handful of sexually transmitted infections — most often gonorrhea, syphilis, and herpes, with chlamydia possible but usually silent. They overla
Pain during sex (dyspareunia) can be an STI symptom — the usual infectious culprits are pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), genital herpes, and trichomoniasis. But many cases aren't an STI at all: vagi
Lower-abdominal or pelvic pain that traces back to a sexually transmitted infection is most often a sign of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), usually driven by untreated chlamydia or gonorrhea . But
A skin rash linked to a sexually transmitted infection is most often caused by one of three culprits: syphilis , HIV , or mpox . A rough rash on the palms and soles strongly suggests secondary syphili
Genital sores or ulcers most often come from one of three sexually transmitted infections: genital herpes and chancroid, which usually hurt, and syphilis, whose sore is classically painless. Friction,
Swollen lymph nodes in the groin can be a sign of an STI, most often genital herpes (especially a first outbreak), syphilis , or recently acquired HIV . But many groin swellings come from ordinary ski
Testicular or scrotal pain is most often not an STI — but two bacterial infections, chlamydia and gonorrhea , can cause it by inflaming the tube behind the testicle (epididymitis). The catch: the same
A strong, fish-like vaginal odor most often points to bacterial vaginosis (BV) or the STI trichomoniasis , both caused by a shift in vaginal microbes. A forgotten tampon and normal scent changes can d
STI symptoms in teens most often come from chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, or HPV — but normal puberty, acne, and non-STI discharge can look identical. Because many of these infections cause no
If your symptoms could be either an STI or menopause, the most likely culprits are vaginal dryness and irritation from falling estrogen, or one of three often-silent STIs — chlamydia, gonorrhea, or tr
Swollen lymph nodes in the groin from an STI most often point to genital herpes, syphilis, or early HIV — all of which can cause tender or swollen glands as the immune system reacts to infection. But
A swollen testicle on one side has several possible causes, and not all are sexually transmitted. STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhea can inflame the tube behind the testicle and cause one-sided pain or
If you're on testosterone and have new vaginal (front-hole) discharge, burning, odor, or bleeding, the likely culprits are chlamydia, gonorrhea, bacterial vaginosis, or testosterone-related atrophy. T