There are many sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) making the rounds all across the world: in richer countries, less developed countries and even here in Singapore. Each STD brings its own set of dangers to our health and requires different treatment methods.

However, many STDs share similar symptoms with one another, making the task of identifying and treating them so much hard. This article will look at early symptoms of STDs in men and women, to alert us to an infection and prompt us to go for a STD screening at a STD clinic in Singapore.

Another shared trait among many common STDs is being asymptomatic. This refers to the ability of many STDs to simply lie latent within our bodies, not doing anything that would cause symptoms to appear but building up reservoirs of the virus or bacteria. Chlamydia, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), and Herpes are famous for being asymptomatic.

While each STD eventually develops its own unique set of symptoms on the infected individual, the symptoms listed below are early indicators of an infection, not yet enough to determine which specific disease or infection is within your body but a call to arms. Testing is the only way to be sure of our STD positivity or negativity.

Below are general symptoms of a possible STD infection for men.

  • Blisters in and around the penis.
  • The development of spots, bumps or unusual growths in the genital area.
  • Strange penile discharges that are clear, milky, white or yellow
  • Pain when urinating or ejaculating
  • Itching on the tip of the penis

For women, the same concept applies: there are some symptoms more common than others indicative of an infection.

  • Pain during urination
  • Lower abdominal pain
  • Unusual vaginal discharge
  • Pain when having sex
  • Bleeding not during periods
  • Unusual vaginal odour
  • Itching, soreness or rashes in and around the genital area

For both men and women, there are also several less common symptoms. These usually come about if a viral STD has been contracted, such as hepatitis or HIV.

  • Sore throat
  • Fever
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Flu-like symptoms (headaches, nausea)
  • Sore joints
  • Swelling in non-sexual parts of your body
  • Swollen lymph nodes

The symptoms for STDs do not typically come instantly after infection. The time before symptoms develop varies wildly from STD to STD, even within the same virus or bacteria. Genital warts caused by a HPV infection could come after a week, or even several months. Genital herpes could also only show symptoms after months or years. This makes it difficult to diagnose.

STD’s asymptomatic tendencies are huge stumbling blocks to identifying and treating them. This almost doubles the threat STDs pose to us, as we can be unaware of an infection and unknowingly pass the STD to others. It is not difficult to see why it has been dubbed the “Hidden Epidemic”.

Knowing these early symptoms is crucial to identifying STDs as quickly as possible. If you do notice these symptoms and can recall an encounter with possible exposure to STDs, do not hesitate to visit one of the many STD clinics in Singapore to get screened for STDs.