Can I tell if someone else has an STI?

Probably not. The most common symptom of all STIs is no symptom at all. STIs are often asymptomatic or display such mild symptoms they go unnoticed or are mistaken for something else. For that reason, most people with an STI don’t know they have one. Even when STIs have no symptoms or only mild symptoms, it’s still possible to pass them to others. Untreated STIs can cause long-term health problems internally long before we’re aware of their effects, so it’s important to get tested regularly.

Still not working?

To protect yourself from STIs, you can use condoms or internal condoms when you have sex, get vaccinated for some types of infections, like HPV, hepatitis, and mpox, or try medications you take before sex (a.k.a., PrEP) or after sex (a.k.a., PEP) to prevent infection. Talk to a provider about getting tested and see if prevention medications or vaccines are a good fit for you.