In schools, many of us have heard of sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. These are often accompanied by some grotesque images of genitalia with infections, sores or other unsightly traumas. We are afraid of developing these painful STDs, and are always keeping an eye out for them.

However, there is a particular group of STDs that function slightly differently. They sometimes do not show symptoms. These are known as asymptomatic STDs.

Asymptomatic STDs pose a serious risk to people’s sexual health, as they may not realise that they carry an STD and that they should go for STD testing in Singapore even if they seem perfectly fine.

Here are some things that you need to know about asymptomatic STDs.

They can cause serious, long-term damage

While you may not be experiencing any physical symptom, the STD may already be at work against your body. Diseases such as syphilis and HIV will not surface itself in the early stages of infection. However, if left undetected or untreated, they could seriously harm your body. Syphilis can cause blindness, deafness, or the eventual failure of organs, and HIV, when developed into AIDS, causes the body’s immune system to fail. Other STDs such as chlamydia could damage your reproductive tract to the point where you are no longer able to have children. Do not disregard STDs that do not show symptoms, because they could develop into much bigger problems in the future.

They are a lot more common than you think

Chlamydia, the most common STD in Singapore, had over 2,900 cases diagnosed in 2016. That makes up about 0.05% of the local population. This number only reflects cases that are tested by clinics. Many more go unreported because patients do not experience any symptoms of the disease. STDs are a real threat to the sexual health of the Singapore population, and frequent STD testing is important in ensuring everyone is at the pink of their sexual health.

There is a higher risk of infection

Because they often go undetected, these STDs are much more likely to spread during casual encounters. And STDs can spread extremely quickly. If one infected person has unprotected sex with a new partner each year, and each of their partners has unprotected sex with one new partner a year, in 10 years the first person could have passed their STD on to over 1000 people. This is why using condoms is so important when engaging in any form of sexual contact. Condoms will help to greatly reduce the risk of an unwanted infection, as it provides a barrier, preventing the bacteria or viruses from one party being passed to the other.

Conclusion

Asymptomatic STDs can greatly impact your life if you contract them. To ensure that you are free of STDs, you should schedule a STD testing session. A STD doctor can help you navigate through the sticky realm of STDs, answer your questions and address any potential concerns you may have.