Symptoms

This chart lists STDs and their symptoms. While some men get these symptoms, others may not. But STDs can still be passed from person to person even if there are no symptoms.

Testing

Talk with your doctor or nurse about getting tested for STDs. She or he can tell you how to test for each STD.

Treatment for STDs

The treatment depends on the type of STD. For some STDs, treatment may involve taking medicine or getting a shot. For other STDs that can’t be cured, like herpes, there is treatment to relieve the symptoms.

Depending on the STD, if left untreated, many health problems can result:

• inflamed prostate gland, which makes and stores semen
• infection in the urethra, the tube that releases urine from the body
• inflamed epididymys, the tube that connects the testicle with the vas deferens, which carries sperm from the testicle to the urethra
• infertility
• cirrhosis or liver cancer
• blindness
• paralysis
• problems with your bones and internal organs

If you give an STD to a female partner, if left untreated, she has a chance of getting cervical cancer and other cancers, liver disease, pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, pregnancy problems, or other complications.

Protect yourself from STDs

There are steps you can take to keep from getting an STD:

• Don’t have sex. The best way to prevent any STD is to practice abstinence, or not having vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
• Be faithful. Have a sexual relationship with one partner who has been tested for STDs and is not infected is another way to reduce your chances of getting infected. Be faithful to each other, meaning that you only have sex with each other and no one else.
• Use condoms. Protect yourself with a condom EVERY time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Condoms should be used for any type of sex with every partner. For vaginal sex, use a latex male condom or a female polyurethane condom. For anal sex, use a latex male condom. For oral sex, use a dental dam. A dental dam is a rubbery material that can be placed over the anus or the vagina before sexual contact.
• Know that some methods of birth control, like birth control pills, shots, implants, or diaphragms, will not protect you from STDs. If your partner uses one of these methods, be sure to also use a latex condom or dental dam (used for oral sex) correctly every time you have sex.
• Talk with your sex partner(s) about STDs and using condoms. It’s up to you to make sure you are protected. For more information, call the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at (800) 232-4636.
• Talk frankly with your doctor or nurse and your sex partner(s) about any STDs you or your partner has or had. Try not to be embarrassed.