Can STDs go away on their own? People may hope that STDs will go away on their own because they want to avoid getting tested and all that comes with it: the embarrassment of going to a clinic or your doctor, the hassle of getting a prescription and having to discuss the topic with you partner to discuss.
Contrary to popular belief about STDs, most STDs do not go away on their own, and many get worse the longer they are left untreated, increasingly damaging your health. To get into why and how to treat different STDs, let’s first break them down into the three main categories: bacterial, parasitic, and viral.
Can STDs caused by parasites or bacteria go away on their own?
Parasitic and bacterial STDs do not go away on their own and always require prescription treatment. STDs caused by bacteria include chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. STDs caused by parasites include trich, scabies and pubic lice. All of these STDs are curable, but require a diagnosis and a doctor’s prescription. If left untreated, these STDs can cause health complications and spread to sexual partners. It is therefore important to be tested and treated regularly.
If left untreated, some bacterial infections can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, ectopic pregnancy, infertility in men and women, and infection of the testicles. Chlamydia can also cause arthritis associated with eye and urethral inflammation, and gonorrhea can cause bloodstream infections.
Untreated syphilis can damage the nervous system, heart, joints, liver, blood vessels and eyes and even cause death.
Can STDs caused by viruses go away on their own?
Viral STDs are the only STDs that have the potential to clear up on their own. For example, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HPV can go away without any treatment or can continue to cause health problems. Others, such as HIV and herpes, remain in the body for life.
Some people who contract hepatitis B or C will clear the virus from their system without any treatment. People whose immune systems don’t clear the virus develop chronic hepatitis, with the virus later causing liver disease and even liver cancer.
There are more than 150 strains of HPV, and many of them clear up on their own without causing symptoms. However, other strains of HPV do not go away and can cause genital warts or certain types of cancer.
As for HIV and herpes, there is no known cure for these STDs. Although they are incurable, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go to the doctor or seek a diagnosis or treatment as soon as possible. Early detection and treatment are essential for both STDs. Antiviral medications for herpes can reduce the severity and duration of the outbreak, increasing comfort for the person infected with herpes and reducing the risk of transmitting the virus to a partner. Antiviral medication given to people infected with HIV significantly reduces the complications of the infection, reduces the chance of spreading the disease to a partner, delays the onset of AIDS and extends lifespan to near normal.
Treatment for STDs
Because STDs are often asymptomatic, it is important to remember that the absence of symptoms does not mean that an infection is not present. Likewise, if you experience symptoms related to an STD and the symptoms eventually go away, it doesn’t mean the STD has gone away. This is also important to remember even if you are receiving STD treatment. Many people will stop taking the medications prescribed to them once their symptoms go away, but it is important to finish the medication the doctor has prescribed. Failure to complete a course of antibiotics can prevent the infection from clearing and can contribute to more antibiotic-resistant strains of the infection, making healing more difficult in the future.
So can STDs go away on their own? Not in almost all cases. That’s why it’s important to make sure you get tested regularly and practice safer sex. Find convenient STD testing centers near you and get tested today with Priority STD.