September 4, 2023 is Sexual Health Day! Maybe you are thinking of Sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. However, there are far more sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) than these; more than 30 different STIs, to be exact.  The term “sexual health” does not only cover physical health and thus protection against STIs, but there is much more to it: it is about well-being with regard to sexuality. This includes safer sex as well as rights or social views.

In this blog post, we want to give you a little more information about sexually transmitted diseases. We will answer your questions about what sexually transmitted diseases there are, what signs indicate sexually transmitted diseases, how you can prevent them, and much more. 

To the most common sexually transmitted diseases in Germany count Syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital warts and herpes , hepatitis B and hepatitis C, as well as the most well-known: HIV. The former are treatable. Hepatitis B, C and HIV, on the other hand, are among the sexually transmitted diseases that are difficult or impossible to treat.  

But which sexually transmitted disease is the most most common ? The answer is: Chlamydia Chlamydia occurs more frequently in women than in men and it is estimated that there are around 300,000 new cases of chlamydia infection in Germany each year.

If a early and consistent treatment , many sexually transmitted infections can be cured. It is also always important that your sexual partner is also treated. Otherwise, you will just be going around in circles.

As a rule, sexually transmitted diseases caused by viruses cannot be cured. For example, hepatitis B, HPV, HIV and HSV remain in the body for life once you have had them. HIV, for example, is not curable, but constant treatment can keep the health consequences under control. HPV cannot be cured with treatment either, but HPV infections usually heal on their own over the course of one to two years.  

If sexually transmitted diseases are treated very late or not at all, they can cause complications or long-term consequences. For example, the infectious agents can settle throughout the body and attack other organs. You should therefore have any symptoms checked by a doctor.  

Sexually transmitted diseases can affect any of us.They spread primarily through unprotected sexual contact and thus through the exchange of body fluids that contain infectious pathogens. However, they can also spread through contact with disease-related changes in the skin. Often, sexually transmitted diseases go unnoticed at first because many of them have no symptoms. This is the case with chlamydia, for example. 

When the first Symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease become noticeable, then it is usually the following:

• Pain, itching or skin changes in the vagina or vaginal opening, anus or penis
• Burning when urinating
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Pain in the genital area or lower abdomen
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Changed discharge from the vagina or penis 
• Changes in the mouth/throat or rectum (after oral or anal sex)

It is important that you recognize your body's warning signals and do not simply ignore them. You should know that your body cannot usually heal sexually transmitted diseases on its own. This means that if you suspect you have an infection, it is best to contact your doctor. Otherwise, you can quickly infect other people and the disease can progress even further. 

There is no general answer to how long it takes until you notice that you have a sexually transmitted disease. As we have already told you, some STIs do not cause any symptoms at all. For some, it takes several months or years before symptoms are noticed, and for others, symptoms appear after just a fewdays n symptoms. It always depends on the incubation period of the infectious disease when which symptoms appear. 
 

In addition, symptoms may only appear for a short time and then disappear again. The pathogens, however, can remain in your body and affect your health. If you are unsure whether you have an STI or not, it is best to talk to your partner about it. Even if you may feel uncomfortable at first, being open about it can clear up the question mark in your head. Perhaps your partner has also noticed symptoms. Ultimately, both of you should definitely consult a doctor so that the infection can be treated.

Condoms are probably the simplest and most effective protection against sexually transmitted diseases. There are condoms for both men and women. The key word here is safe sex. A condom should always be used during sexual intercourse. This applies not only to vaginal intercourse, but also to oral and anal sex. It is important to ensure that the condom has a CE mark (quality mark) and a valid expiration date. 

Condoms ensure that the risk of contracting an STI during sexual intercourse is greatly reduced - however, infection cannot be completely ruled out. But why is that? As mentioned, close skin contact is enough for some sexually transmitted diseases to be transmitted. For example, an infection can be transmitted through contact with contagious skin lesions (eg herpes blisters).  

In addition, there are vaccinations against some viruses, such as hepatitis B and human papillomaviruses (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer.