Attention: After a situation with the risk of HIV transmission (unprotected intercourse with a person whose HIV status or efficacy of antiretroviral therapy is unknown), you should immediately go to the emergency department of a hospital or a Checkpoint centre, ideally with your partner, to determine if you need to receive urgent HIV treatment (Post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP), which is no longer sufficiently effective 48 hours after potential infection.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that can be acquired mainly through sexual intercourse, whether it is vaginal, anal, or oral.

The most well-known sexually transmitted infection is HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), but there are other diseases:

• chlamydia (bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis)
• gonorrhoea (bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae)
• genital herpes (virus HSV)
• syphilis (bacterium Treponema pallidum)
• hepatitis B (virus HBV)
• and some other bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi (mycoses).

In many cases, STIs do not cause any symptoms. This means that a person can have a sexually transmitted infection without knowing it - and transmit it to their partner or partners during sexual intercourse.

Testing is therefore important for early detection of infections and enabling the introduction of treatments that will prevent the worsening of the disease and its transmission to others.

Numerous tests can detect STIs: depending on the infections being sought, blood and/or urine samples are taken, and sometimes swabs of genital lesions.

Unprotected intercourse (vaginal, oral, or anal) represents the main risk for acquiring a sexually transmitted infection. Having one STI, relationships with multiple partners, relationships with partners who have other partners, and paid sex also increase the risk. Certain populations are at higher risk, such as men who have sex with men.

Many sexual health centres/maternities offer STI testing (some anonymously) and advice on sexual health: Advice | Testing | Treatment | Swiss AIDS Federation

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact one of these centres or speak directly with your doctor.

Often, STIs do not cause any symptoms.

An infection with HIV can often go unnoticed. The symptoms of the initial infection are not specific and can resemble flu, with sore throat, headache, fever and muscle aches.

Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and Mycoplasma genitalium can cause symptoms of urethritis (infection of the urinary tract, the tube that carries urine from the bladder to the tip of the penis in men and the vulva in women) or vaginitis (abnormal vaginal discharge, lower abdominal pain). Symptoms (burning, discharge) are more common in men, but these infections can cause chronic lower abdominal pain or even lead to infertility in women.

Genital herpes mainly causes painful blisters and sores on the genital mucosa, sometimes with fever and burning during urination. The symptoms are variable and, unfortunately, it is a virus that often recurs (relapses with very variable frequency and severity).

Condylomas are genital warts caused by the HPV virus which can develop on the vulva, vagina, penis, or anus. Most often these warts are painless, but sometimes they cause itching or a burning sensation. There are local treatments available.

Trichomonas can cause yellow-green and foul-smelling vaginal discharge, itching of the vulva, pain during and bleeding after intercourse in women. In men, it can cause symptoms of urethritis (burning during urination and purulent discharge from the urethral opening).

If you have a symptomatic sexually transmitted infection (STI) or a positive STI test, you will be prescribed treatment to limit the worsening and transmission of the infection.

The treatment will depend on the nature of the infection. Sometimes it will be necessary to take antibiotics or antiviral drugs. In some cases, follow-up in the infectious diseases department will be necessary.

For some STIs, such as chlamydia or gonorrhoea, treatment of all partners will be suggested without necessary testing, as it is important to prevent transmission and reinfection as much as possible.

There is no absolute way to prevent all STIs, but you can significantly reduce the risk of infection by using condoms during each intercourse. To date, this is the best way to prevent STIs. Both external (male) and internal (female) condoms are effective.

Additionally, certain diseases, such as HPV and hepatitis B, can be prevented by vaccines. Talk to your doctor to check if this is suitable in your case.

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