How can I tell if my partner has an STI?

The most common symptom of all sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is no symptom at all (a.k.a. asymptomatic). STIs often have no symptoms or display such mild symptoms they go unnoticed or are mistaken for something else. For that reason, most people with an STI are unaware they have one. When STIs have no symptoms or only mild symptoms, you can still pass them to others—and there’s no guarantee the STI will have no symptoms for the person you pass it to. Recognizable symptoms or not, STIs can cause major issues internally long before we’re aware of their effects; untreated asymptomatic STIs can pose long-term health risks like liver damage (i.e., hepatitis) and infertility (i.e., chlamydia and gonorrhea).

To protect yourself against STIs, use condoms or internal condoms and consider getting tested to see if you (or your partner) have an STI with no symptoms.