Lifestyle
Dude, what’s that lump? A guy’s guide to STIs
Sometimes you might feel like playing the ‘wait and see’ game, but it’s not wise to gamble when it comes to sexual health. Paying attention to changes occurring to your body and taking swift action will help you protect your health and the health of your partner.
But as you’ll see, being smart about sexually transmissible infections (STIs) is more than just looking for odd bumps and lumps.
What are STIs?
STIs are infections that can be spread during sexual intercourse, including vaginal, anal and oral sex. They occur when viruses, bacteria or parasites pass from one person’s body to another’s during sex or intimate, skin-on-skin contact. Some STIs will only affect an isolated area, like the genitals, while others can spread and cause damage to other parts of the body.
How do I spot an STI?
Surprisingly, most STIs don’t have symptoms. This means you can’t necessarily tell if you or your sexual partner has an STI just by looking. That’s why regular sexual health check-ups are essential.
Because STIs are so common and testing is quick and simple, many clinicians suggest getting an STI test every 6–12 months. You should also get tested when changing sexual partners, or if you have any symptoms that you’re concerned about.
It's important to know that getting treated for STIs doesn’t stop you from getting them in the future.
Queensland’s most common STIs, and their symptoms in men
STI symptoms can be different between men and women. Here, we’ll take a closer look at the symptoms in males but for further information, check out our blog on Queensland’s most commonly diagnosed STIs.
If you’ve got strange lumps in intimate places, there’s a chance it could be genital herpes or genital warts. Both are caused by viruses and can be transmitted through unprotected vaginal, oral and anal sex or intimate, skin-on-skin contact.
Genital herpes is a very common STI – it’s estimated that 1 in 10 sexually active adults in Australia have the infection. The virus that causes genital herpes can lay dormant in the body for many years. This means you might show symptoms straight away, or not for a few years after catching it.
For men, the typical symptoms of genital herpes include:
- outbreaks of small, painful blisters
- outbreaks of a rash that looks like cracked skin
- stinging or tingling in the infected area
- difficulty urinating.
After contracting the virus, you may initially experience flu-like symptoms such as fever, headaches and swollen glands.
Symptoms typically occur in episodes, with each one lasting around 7 to 10 days. Currently, there’s no cure for genital herpes, but certain treatments can reduce the length and severity of each episode. The virus that causes genital herpes stays in the body for the rest of your life and the symptoms can recur over time. For further information, watch our animation about herpes.
Genital warts can be caused by types of human papillomavirus (HPV). The HPV strains at play in genital warts are different from those associated with certain cancers.
For men, genital warts can appear on the penis, scrotum, or anus. They can be:
- bumpy, flat, or appear in clusters
- painless, but are sometimes painful, itchy, or uncomfortable.
Treatments for genital warts are available, but only your immune system can clear the virus. This means the virus can linger in your body even if warts aren’t visible.
Chlamydia is the most common bacterial STI in Queensland and in fact, the world. In Australia, the majority of chlamydia infections in young people remain undiagnosed and as a result, go untreated. Without treatment, chlamydia can lead to serious health issues down the track such as infertility. Luckily, most uncomplicated chlamydia infections are easily treated with a single dose of antibiotics.
For men, the symptoms of chlamydia can include:
- discharge from the penis
- discomfort or irritation at the tip of the penis from the urethra
- pain when urinating
- swollen and sore testes
- pain in the rectum and discharge from the anus if spread through anal sex.
People who have contracted chlamydia may not have any symptoms. For more information, watch our animation about chlamydia.
In Australia, it’s estimated that 1 in 20 young people have new chlamydia infections in a year (including reinfections) and three quarters are undiagnosed and therefore untreated.
Gonorrhoea is another STI that is on the rise in Queensland and occurs without symptoms. Untreated gonorrhoea infections are not only uncomfortable and unpleasant, but they can also lead to serious issues in the future. Gonorrhoea can infect the testes causing infertility and can also increase the risk of HIV transmission.
For men, the symptoms of gonorrhoea can include:
- a yellow discharge from the penis
- pain and/or burning sensation when urinating
- swollen and sore testes.
If contracted through anal sex, the symptoms of gonorrhoea can include:
- pain in the rectum (the end of the large intestine that joins to the anus)
- a sometimes bloody discharge or mucus from the anus
- the feeling of fullness in the lower bowel.
If contracted through oral sex, the symptoms of gonorrhoea can include:
- a sore, red throat
- pus on the tonsils.
Symptoms can appear and then disappear after a few weeks, but that doesn’t mean the infection is gone for good. Only antibiotics can clear a gonorrhoea infection and most uncomplicated infections are easily treated with just a single dose. However, some types of gonorrhoea are resistant to some drugs and can be harder to treat. For more information, watch our animation about gonorrhoea.
Syphilis is also on the rise. Like chlamydia and gonorrhoea, you can have syphilis and not experience symptoms. It’s a serious infection that if left untreated, can be fatal. Syphilis comes in three stages, each with its own possible symptoms.
Early on, you might get sores, rashes and ulcers. You might think it’s genital herpes or a bad heat rash and the sores might go away, but if it’s syphilis, the infection will still remain in your body.
After 2-6 months, the symptoms of syphilis infection can include:
- a flu-like illness
- a rash on the abdomen, palms and soles of feet
- swollen glands
- wart-like lumps around the moist areas of the body (groin, armpits)
- hair loss
- headaches
- tiredness
- pains in the muscles, bones and joints.
These symptoms might go away on their own, but the infection will remain. Over time, an untreated syphilis infection can spread to other internal organs like the heart and brain, causing serious and sometimes life-threatening complications.
Syphilis is particularly dangerous for pregnant women as it can cause congenital syphilis for the baby. Congenital syphilis can be life-threatening to babies. If your partner is pregnant or hoping to be pregnant one day, you can protect her reproductive health by taking care of your own.
For more information, watch our animation about syphilis.
How do I prevent STIs?
Always practice safe sex and use a condom or dental dam every time you have vaginal, anal or oral sex. Condoms and dental dams are the only types of contraception that offer protection against most STIs. For more information, check out when and why you should use condoms, how to use them correctly, and learn to transform a condom into a dental dam.
If you and your partner decide to not to use condoms, make sure you both get sexual health checks and complete treatment if necessary first.
Using condoms reduces the risk of passing on STIs during sexual intercourse and oral sex.
What to do if I think I have an STI?
As you’ve read, STIs aren’t just about lumps – they can be serious and some stay for life. There is a long list of STIs and the symptoms can vary. That’s why regular sexual health checks are essential in protecting your overall health.
If you think you have an STI, or if you haven’t been tested in a while, book in a sexual health check with your doctor. If you’re feeling nervous – don’t worry, they’ve seen it all before. The sooner you get in and get it sorted, the better. STIs can usually be treated easily with medications like antibiotics. For STIs that can’t, your doctor can help you manage your symptoms and reduce the risk of spreading the infection.
You can also order a free urine test online for chlamydia and gonorrhoea through the 13 HEALTH webtest program. There are two options to provide urine for a webtest:
- Download a pathology form and give a sample at your local pathology collection centre. This is the quickest way to get your results.
- Order a home mailing kit and post your sample in the reply-paid envelope to be analysed.
The webtest program doesn’t replace a sexual health check, but it can be useful if you are unable to visit a health service. 13 HEALTH webtest cannot test for syphilis or HIV, or for throat and anal infections.
If you find out you’ve contracted an STI, you should inform your current and past sexual partners so that they can get tested and treated too. Your doctor can give advice on who you need to tell and how to tell them. This guide on contact tracing may help. In some cases it might be better for a health professional to contact partners on your behalf, so talk to them about this if you are concerned.
Even if you don’t think you have an STI, if you’re sexually active and don’t use a condom every time, make sure you get a sexual health check at least once a year. Remember, many people with STIs don’t experience symptoms. It’s only through regular testing that you can know for sure if you’re STI-free.