Can STDs Go Away On Their Own?

On some level, you probably know that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are far more common than your middle school sex ed teacher led you to believe. But get ready for a stat attack: Every day, more than 1 million STDs are reported worldwide, according to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO). Wowza!

What's more, experts say that they're likely even more prevalent than these numbers suggest, because the numbers reported above are only confirmed cases — meaning that someone got tested and was positive. Cases that aren't reported only add to the tally.

"While it's best practice to get tested every year or after every new partner — whichever comes first — most folks with a sexually transmitted infection (STI) don't have symptoms and most folks don't get tested unless they have symptoms," explains Sherry A. Ross, M.D., an ob-gyn and author of She-ology. Hey, there's no way for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or WHO to know if you have an STI you don't even know about!

There's also the chance that you think something is up, but you decide to wait it out and see if it'll "take care of itself." But can STDs go away without medical attention? Here's the thing: While STIs are definitely not a death sentence for you or your sexcapades, if left untreated, they can cause some serious health conditions.

Below, experts answer all your questions about whether STIs can go away on their own, the risks of leaving an STI untreated, how to get rid of an STD if you have one, and why regular STI testing is so important.

What Is an STD, Anyway?

Called both STDs and STIs, these are infections that are acquired through sexual contact — and no, that doesn't mean just penetrative sex. Hand stuff, oral sex, kissing, and even skivvy-free bumping and grinding can put you at risk. Oh, and don't forget the sharing of pleasure products such as toys.

Note: Many professionals are steering toward the usage of the term STI because the word "disease" means it's a condition that "impairs normal functioning and is typically manifested by distinguishing signs and symptoms," according to Merriam-Webster. However, many of these such infections don't have symptoms and don't impair functioning in any way, hence the label of STI. That said, many people still know of and refer to them as STDs. (See More: What's the Difference Between an STI and STD?)

Generally speaking, STDs fall into a few main categories:

• Bacterial STDs: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis
• Parasitic STDs: trichomoniasis
• Viral STDs: herpes, HPV, HIV, and Hepatitis B

There are also scabies and pubic lice, which are caused by lice and mites, respectively. Because some STDs are spread via skin-to-skin contact and others are spread through bodily fluids, transmission is possible any time fluids (including pre-cum) are swapped or skin is touched. So, if you're wondering: "Can I get an STD without having sex?" The answer is yes.

How to Know If You Have an STD

Plain and simple: Getting tested is the only way to know for sure. Again, the majority of STIs are completely symptom-free. And, unfortunately, even when you feel like something is off, those symptoms (such as vaginal discharge, itchiness, burning while peeing) are often subtle and can be easily explained away by other common issues such as a yeast infection, bacterial vaginosis, or a urinary tract infection (UTI), says Dr. Ross. (Here's how to tell whether you're dealing with a UTI or an STD.)

"You can't rely on symptoms to tell you if you have an infection. Only getting a full STI screening done by your doctor can tell you if you have an infection," notes Dr. Ross. But trust, the whole shebang is pretty quick and painless. "It usually involves some combination of peeing in a cup or getting your blood drawn or cultures taken," says Michael Ingber, M.D., a board-certified urologist and female pelvic medicine specialist with the Center for Specialized Women's Health in New Jersey.

How to Treat an STD

The bad news: If you're wondering how to treat an STD at home, the answer is that you usually can't. (Aside from crabs/pubic lice, but more on that below.)

Some good news: If caught early enough, bacterial and parasitic STDs can be completed cured by antibiotics. "Gonorrhea and chlamydia are often treated with common antibiotics like doxycycline or azithromycin, and syphilis is treated with penicillin," says Dr. Ingber. Trichomoniasis is cured with either metronidazole or tinidazole. So, yes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trich can all go away, as long as you get treated.

Viral STDs are a little different. In almost all cases, "once someone has a viral STD, that virus stays inside the body forever," says Dr. Ross. Meaning, they cannot be cured. But don't freak out: "The symptoms can totally be managed," she adds. What that management entails varies from infection to infection. (See More: Your Guide to a Positive STI Diagnosis)

People with herpes can take an antiviral medication every day to prevent an outbreak, or at the onset of symptoms. People with HIV or Hepatitis B can take antiretrovirals, which reduce the infection's viral load, stopping the virus from replicating in the body and thus preventing it from doing further damage to the body. (Again, this is different from curing the virus.)

HPV is a bit of an outlier in that, in some cases, the virus can go away on its own, according to the American Sexual Health Association (ASHA). While some strains cause genital warts and lesions, and, if currently active, will likely be found through abnormal pap test results, the virus can also present no symptoms and lie dormant for weeks, months, years, or your whole life, which means your pap results would come back normal. The virus cells can stay in your body for an indefinite period of time, but also may be cleared out in people with well-functioning immune systems, according to the ASHA.

So, can STDs go away on their own? With the exception of HPV (and only sometimes), the general consensus is no. Some STDs can "go away" with proper medication. Other STDs can't "go away," but can be managed with proper treatment and/or medication.

What Happens If You Don't Treat an STD?

Easy answer: Nothing good! Here's what can happen if you don't treat an STD.

Gonorrhea, Trichomoniasis, and Chlamydia

If left undiagnosed and untreated, eventually, any symptoms of gonorrhea, trichomoniasis, and chlamydia that were present (if were any) will go away...but that doesn't mean the infection does, says Dr. Ingber. Instead, the infection can travel to other organs such as the fallopian tubes, ovaries, or uterus, and cause something called pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). It takes about a year for the initial infection to develop into PID, and PID can lead to scarring and even infertility, he notes. So as long as you're getting tested regularly, you should be able to avoid any of these developing into PID. (Chlamydia is the most common STI — here's what to know about it.)

Syphilis

For syphilis, the risk of leaving it untreated is even greater. The original infection (known as primary syphilis) will progress to secondary syphilis approximately four to eight weeks after infection," says Dr. Ingber. At that point, the disease progresses from genital sores to full-body rashes. "Eventually, the infection will progress to tertiary syphilis, which is when the disease travels to distant organs such as the brain, lungs, or liver, and can be deadly," he says. That's right, deadly. (See More: Here's Your Full Debrief on Syphilis Symptoms, Stages, and Treatment)

HIV

The consequence of leaving HIV untreated is equally grave. Without treatment, HIV will slowly degrade the immune system and greatly increase your risk of other infections and infection-related cancers. Eventually, untreated HIV becomes AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome. (This happens after eight to 10 years without treatment, according to the Mayo Clinic.)

Scabies and Pubic Lice

Most other STIs may be primarily asymptomatic, but scabies and lice are not. Both are extraordinarily itchy, according to Dr. Ingber. And they will continue to be itchy until cured. Worse yet, if you develop open wounds from clawing at your junk, those wounds can get infected or lead to permanent scarring. The good news? Crabs or pubic lice are the one STD you can treat at home: They're usually treated with a special shampoo or lotion that can be bought over the counter without a prescription. Scabies, on the other hand, requires a prescription lotion or cream from your doc, according to the CDC. (Here's more on pubic lice, aka crabs.)

Herpes

Again, herpes can't be cured. But it can be managed via anti-virals, which reduce the number of outbreaks — or in some cases, stop outbreaks from occurring altogether. But that doesn't mean taking anti-virals is a must; whether or not someone takes antivirals is a personal decision based on factors such as frequency of outbreaks, whether you're sexually active, how you feel about taking daily medication, and more, according to Dr. Sheila Loanzon, D.O., a board-certified ob-gyn and author of Yes, I Have Herpes.

HPV

When HPV does not go away on its own, it can potentially lead to cancer. Certain (not all!) strains of HPV can cause cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile, and anal cancer (and in some cases, even throat cancer). Regular cervical cancer screenings and pap tests can help you catch HPV so that your doctor can monitor it, and hopefully catch it before it becomes cancerous. (See: 6 Warning Signs of Cervical Cancer)

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, "the best line of action with STDs is prevention," says Dr. Ingber. That means using safer sex barriers with any partner whose STI status you don't know — or any partner who is STD positive — during vaginal, oral, and anal sex. And using that barrier properly.

"Even if you practice safer sex, you need to be getting tested once a year or after every new partner," says Dr. Ross. Yes, even if you're in a monogamous relationship! (Unfortunately, cheating happens). If you're having any symptoms, it's best to get tested — even if you think it's "just" BV or yeast infection — because the only way to know for sure what type of infection you have is to go to the doc, she adds. Plus, that way, if you do have an STD, you can catch it in its tracks and treat it.

To repeat: an STD cannot go away on its own. Nowadays, there are many ways you can get tested at little or no cost. "Most insurance plans cover STI testing, including Medicaid plans. And Planned Parenthood, local health departments, and some colleges and universities will offer free STI testing," says Dr. Ingber. So really, there's no excuse not to stay on top of your sexual health.