When should a sexually active woman be worried that she may have a sexually transmitted disease/infection (STD/STI)?

If a healthy person is exposed to blood or potentially infectious fluids (saliva, penile, vaginal or anal secretions) from a person infected with an STD/STI, there is a real risk of contracting it.

While some people infected with an STD/STI may be asymptomatic (i.e., have no symptoms), the most common symptoms of STD/STI in women include the following:

•Fever and rashes
•Thick or watery discharge from vagina or anus
•Pain during urination, including itch and vague discomfort inside urethra
•Pain and swelling of lymph nodes
•Blisters, ulcers (painful or painless) or rashes on vulva, anus or around genital/pubic area
•Round, flat or cauliflower-like lumps on vulva, anus or around genital/pubic area

The occurrence of symptoms depends on the type of STD/STI. We list below the most common STDs/STIs and provide an overview of each. The individual STD/STI webpage within our website provides further information. To access these pages, simply click on the hyperlink (in green font)

Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea

•1st/2nd most common STD/STI in Singapore
•Women commonly complain of pain during urination and vaginal discharge
•Gonorrhoea symptoms may occur 4-6 days after sex. Most infected women will have symptoms
•Chlamydia symptoms may occur 1 to 3 weeks after sex, but up to 80% of infected women have no symptoms after infection
•Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea can be cured with appropriate antibiotics

Syphilis
•3rd most common STD/STI in Singapore
•Women commonly complain of painless ulcer on the vulva (primary syphilis) or rashes on palms of hands/feet (secondary syphilis)
•Primary syphilis symptoms may occur 10 to 90 days after infection
•Syphilis can be cured with appropriate antibiotics

Genital herpes
•Women commonly complain of a group of blisters on the vulva, genital area (or anus), which burst to form painful ulcers
•Herpes symptoms may occur 2 day to 12 days after infection, but most infected women have no symptoms immediately after infection
•Herpes cannot be cured but can be treated with appropriate antiviral medication

Genital warts
•Women commonly complain of fleshy, cauliflower-like growths (1-10mm in size) on the vulva, genital area (or anus)
•Genital warts should be removed promptly because they can increase in number
•Genital warts can be treated with appropriate creams or removed by liquid nitrogen or laser treatment
•Genital warts can be prevented by vaccination with human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine. There are 2 vaccines available, Gardasil and Gardasil 9. Gardasil is Medisave claimable (please see our HPV webpage for more details)

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
•Women commonly complain of fever, rashes, swollen lymph nodes and flu-like symptoms
•HIV symptoms occur within 2 to 4 weeks after infection but up to 30% of infected women have no symptoms
•HIV cannot be cured but can be treated with appropriate anti-retroviral medication (ART)

Be responsible. If you are in a new sexual relationship, or have had casual sex, you should screen for STDs. Screening will give you and your partners peace of mind. Moreover, early detection and treatment/management of an STD/STI increases the success of treatment/management, as well as reduces the risk of spreading the infection.

STDs may be treated effectively. Consult our doctors now.