Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) affect 12 million men and women in the United States each year.
Anyone can become infected through sexual intercourse with an infected person.
Many of those infected are teenagers or young adults.
Changing sexual partners adds to the risk of becoming infected.
Sometimes, early in the infection, there may be no symptoms, or symptoms may be easily confused with other illnesses.

Sexually transmitted diseases can cause:

Tubal pregnancies, sometimes fatal to the mother and always fatal to the unborn child
Death or severe damage to a baby born to an infected woman
Sterility (loss of ability to get pregnant)
Cancer of the cervix in women
Damage to other parts of the body, including the heart, kidneys, and brain
Death to infected individuals
See a doctor if you have any of these symptoms of STDs:
Discharge from the vagina, penis, and/or rectum
Pain or burning during urination and/or intercourse
Pain in the abdomen (women), testicles (men), and buttocks and legs (both)
Blisters, open sores, warts, rash, and/or swelling in the genital area, sex organs, and/or mouth
Flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, aching muscles, and/or swollen glands