What are STI's?

Sexually transmitted infections - also known as STDs or STIs and once called venereal diseases or VD - are infectious diseases that spread from person to person by means of sexual contact, vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex.

STIs are becoming more and more common: By the age of 21, almost 1 in 5 people in the UK require treatment for an STI. STIs are more than just an embarrassment - they are a serious health problem. If untreated, some STIs can cause permanent damage, such as infertility and even death.

Until the 1990s, STIs were commonly known as venereal diseases: Veneris is the Latin form of the name Venus, the Roman goddess of love. More recently, public health officials introduced newer terms such as sexually transmitted infections in efforts to improve the clarity of their warnings to the public. The term sexually transmitted disease remains in common use; however, clinicians are increasingly using the term sexually transmitted infection.

Most of the time, people do not know that they are infected with an STD until they start showing symptoms of disease.

Although STIs are described as 'sexually transmitted' it is not always the case that you have to contract them through sexual contact. HIV, for example, can be transmitted through the sharing of a hypodermic needle, equally 'crabs' and 'scabies' can be caught from clothing or even casual contact.