Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

Prompt treatment prevents the complications of some STDs. Unfortunately, you may not notice the symptoms of primary infection, which is the easiest to treat. Possible complications include:

  • Arthritis
  • Eye inflammation
  • Pelvic inflammatory disease
  • Infertility
  • Cervical cancer
  • Other cancers, including HIV-associated lymphoma and HPV-associated rectal and anal cancers
  • Opportunistic infections occurring in advanced HIV
  • Heart disease
  • Difficulty walking or maintaining balance
  • Personality change
  • Memory loss
  • Maternal-fetal transmission, which causes severe birth defects
Preparing for your appointment Risk factors
References
  1. Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 31st ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: W.B. Saunders; 2007.
  2. Swygard H. Screening for sexually transmitted diseases. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  3. Holmes KK. Sexually transmitted infections: Overview and clinical approach. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.:  McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008.  http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=2893718. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
  4. Global strategy for the prevention and control of sexually transmitted infections: 2006-2015. Breaking the chain of transmission. World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/stisstrategy/index.html. Accessed Jan. 15, 2009.
  5. Basic information: HIV. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic/index.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  6. CDC fact sheet: Genital herpes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Herpes/herpes-Fact-Sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  7. CDC fact sheet: Genital HPV infection. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Hpv/hpv-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  8. CDC fact sheet: Syphilis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Syphilis/syphilis-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  9. CDC fact sheet. Chlamydia. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Chlamydia/chlamydia-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  10. CDC fact sheet. Gonorrhea. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Gonorrhea /gonorrhea-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Sexually transmitted diseases treatment guidelines, 2006. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2006;55:2. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5511a1.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  12. CDC fact sheet: Bacterial vaginosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/bv/BV-Fact-Sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  13. CDC fact sheet. PID (pelvic inflammatory disease). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/PID/pid-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 20009.
  14. CDC fact sheet. Trichomoniasis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/Trichomoniasis/trichomoniasis-fact-sheet.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  15. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Shigella flexneri serotype 3 infections among men who have sex with men - Chicago, Illinois, 2003-2004. MMWR. 2005;54:820. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5433a2.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  16. Quick answers: Sexually transmitted diseases. McGraw Hill's Access Medicine. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aID=3271836. Accessed Feb. 5, 2009.
  17. Klausner JD. Screening guidelines for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3025000. Accessed Jan. 19, 2009.
  18. Swygard H, et al. Gonorrhea. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3025486. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  19. Ward H. Prevention strategies for sexually transmitted infections: Importance of sexual network and epidemic phase. Sexually Transmitted Infections. 2007;83:i43. http://sti.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/83/suppl_1/i43. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  20. Trends in reportable sexually transmitted diseases in the United States, 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats07/trends.htm. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
  21. Arrington-Sanders R, et al. Sexually transmitted diseases in adolescents. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3026189. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
  22. Wong W. Sexually transmitted diseases in men who have sex with men. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3026252. Accessed Jan. 19, 2009.
  23. Peterman TA. Partner notification and management. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aid=3026470. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  24. Klausner JD. The sexual history. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aid=3026901. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  25. Safer sex ("Safe sex"). Planned Parenthood. http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-topics/stds-hiv-safer-sex/safer-sex-4263.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  26. Reitmeijer CA. Principles of risk reduction counseling. In: Klausner JD, et al. Current Diagnosis and Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2007. http://www.accessmedicine.com/popup.aspx?aid=3026470. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  27. Viral hepatitis: A through E and beyond. National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/viralhepatitis/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
  28. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Antiretroviral postexposure prophylaxis after sexual, injection-drug use, or other nonoccupational exposure to HIV in the United States. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2005;54:1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5402a1.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  29. Kung HC, et al. Deaths: Final data for 2005. National Vital Statistics Reports. 2008;56:10. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr56/nvsr56_10.pdf. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.
  30. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Revised recommendations for HIV testing of adults, adolescents, and pregnant women in health-care settings. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2006;55:1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5514a1.htm?s_cid=rr5514a1_e. Accessed Feb. 6, 2009.
  31. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Recommendations for partner services Programs for HIV infection, syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydial infection. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2008;57:1. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5709a1.htm. Accessed Feb. 9, 2009.

DS01123

Feb. 25, 2009

© 1998-2010 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Text Size: smaller largerlarger