Common Symptoms of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in Females

You can be at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), if you're sexually active. Symptoms of STDs in females may include abnormal discharge, painful urination, and blisters or sores.

Someone with an STI might not show symptoms and could pass the infection on. Not all cases of every STI are symptomatic. It can be easy to mistake symptoms for another condition, like a yeast infection or urinary tract infection (UTI), if you do develop them.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that one in five people in the United States has an STI. Here are the seven of the most common symptoms of STIs in females.

Symptoms of STDs in Females

Symptoms of different STIs tend to overlap. Having one symptom isn't usually definitively diagnostic of a particular STI. Keep in mind that having one of these symptoms also doesn't automatically mean you have an STI. Your symptom could be something else, like a skin condition.

Burning Sensation With Urination

A burning sensation when you try to pee or while peeing can be a sign of an STI. The pain comes from inflammation in your urinary tract. Bacteria can cling to the mucus membranes of the urethra, which is the tube pee comes out of.

You may get a lot of burning when you urinate and go to the bathroom a lot. STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis ("trich") can be the root cause. Burning with urination is also a common UTI symptom. Consulting a healthcare provider to figure out the cause is essential.

Unusual Vaginal Discharge

You may notice your discharge changes in color and consistency, especially during your menstrual cycle. Discharge usually appears clear and stretchy when you're ovulating. It may have a yellow tinge and be thick before your period starts.

Discharge with itching, redness, swelling, pelvic pain, or a strong smell may indicate an STI, such as trich, chlamydia, or gonorrhea. You may also notice blood in your discharge. Abnormal discharge links to inflammation. You may have irritation and an unusual discharge when bacteria cling to your reproductive tract.

Abnormal Vaginal Bleeding

Bleeding when it's not that time of the month or after sex could be alarming, and an STI can be to blame. Human papillomavirus (HPV) could affect the cervix, which can cause bleeding after sex. Inflammation in the reproductive tract can irritate the mucus membranes of the vagina and cause bleeding.

Bleeding from an STI tends to be described as spotting. People rarely notice a large amount of blood, like you would see when you have your period.

Burning or Itching Sensation of the Vagina

Vaginal itching and burning, also known as vaginitis, are the telltale signs of a yeast infection. STIs, such as trich, can also cause those symptoms.

You may notice other trich symptoms like:

• Pain during or after sex
• Pain while urinating
• Vaginal odor
• Yellow-green or gray vaginal discharge
  

Vaginal Pain During Sex

Painful sex can be a sign of STIs like chlamydia and gonorrhea as a result of vaginal inflammation, Christine Greves, MD, an OB-GYN at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, told Health. Herpes can also lead to painful sex. Lesions can form in your vagina and on your cervix. These lesions can become irritated and inflamed during sex.

Bumps On and Around the Vagina

A bump, sore, or wart may signify several STIs. Certain strains of HPV cause genital warts, which are flesh-colored. Genital warts can be flat or bumpy and look like cauliflower. Genital warts are sometimes so small that you may not notice them.

Conditions like herpes will have flares of small red blisters that come and go. People with herpes often have several flares per year. Keep in mind that you can still spread the virus if sores aren't visible.

Pelvic Pain

Pelvic pain is a sign to pay attention to, just like painful sex. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are known to cause pelvic pain. Both conditions can affect the vagina and also spread to the uterus and fallopian tubes.

Chlamydia and gonorrhea increase your risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) if untreated. PID is an infection of the uterus and fallopian tubes that causes lower abdominal pain. It may cause pain and bleeding when you have sex and an unusual discharge with a bad odor.

Nearly 85% of PID cases are due to STIs. About 10% to 15% of women with chlamydia or gonorrhea develop PID.

Timing of Symptoms

The timing of when you start to notice symptoms after exposure depends on the infection, such as:

• Chlamydia: Several weeks after infection
• Gonorrhea: Between two to five days or up to one month (in men) after infection
• Herpes: About two to 12 days after exposure
  

Location of Symptoms

STI symptoms typically show up on the genitals. You can also get symptoms all over your body. Symptoms may occur in the mouth, for example, from oral sex.

Herpes and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can also cause a fever, chills, and other flu-like symptoms. There are cases in which STIs, such as gonorrhea, can cause rheumatoid symptoms in the joints. Syphilis can infect the brain and cause symptoms.

Treatments

Consult a healthcare provider immediately if you were recently sexually active and have signs of an STI. Treatments depend on the type of STI and may include oral or topical antiviral or antibacterial medications. A healthcare provider can recommend the best treatment after performing laboratory tests and diagnosing your symptoms.

Seeing a healthcare provider is still essential even if you do not have STI symptoms but were recently exposed. Undiagnosed and untreated STIs raise the risk of spreading the infection to others. 

STIs can also lead to serious complications, including permanent damage to the reproductive system, if untreated. This damage can make it difficult to become or stay pregnant. Chlamydia, for example, can raise your risk of having an ectopic pregnancy. This life-threatening complication occurs if pregnancy happens outside the uterus.

A Quick Review

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), often present similarly to other infections, like yeast infections or urinary tract infections (UTIs). It can be helpful to consult a healthcare provider if you've recently been sexually active and notice abnormal discharge, vaginal bleeding, or pelvic pain, among other symptoms that typically show up on or near the genitals. 

Treatments depend on the STI type and may include oral or topical antiviral or antibacterial medications. Practicing safe sex is key to preventing the spread of STIs. Condoms help lower your risk of becoming infected and spreading infections.