Mouth Sores Causing STDs: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and Testing

Mouth Sores Causing STDs - STDTestGuru

Sexually Transmitted Infections can come with a multitude of symptoms including oral signs such as mouth sores, sore throat, white spots on your tongue and tonsils. Most people do not experience any symptoms during the initial phase of the infection. As days pass, you can start noticing symptoms and it is highly recommended to get tested for STDs and know your condition for sure rather than trying to guess and letting the disease spread.

What are STDs?

Sexually Transmitted Diseases are transferrable from one person to another via sexual contact and they can also include oral sex. According to data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), nearly 1 million new cases of STDs are recorded around the world each day and yet many cases go unreported and it is said the actual numbers can be quite higher than that.

Can STDs Cause Mouth Sores?

STDs are typically slow in showing the symptoms. Unlike allergy or flu which triggers the symptoms like frequent sneezing or fever immediately after contact with the allergen or contagious foreign agent, STDs are the complete opposite. This is one of the main reasons for the widespread cases of STDs, especially among young people. According to CDC, more than 50% of the new STD cases reported in the United States are from young people who fall between the age of 15-24.

Your partner can spread the disease if she/he is sexually active unknowingly as the symptoms can take anywhere between days to weeks to appear. Mouth sores are most commonly misinterpreted as pimple-like signs and people expect them to go away on their own, but that is not recommended. If you had sex in the past and have a doubt, then get tested for STDs, before the sores spread to other areas.

Types of STDs that cause Mouth Sores

STDs are not one type, there are various types of this disease and as per HealthLine, there are more than a dozen types of STDs around the world. However, not all of them are common and a handful of 5 to 6 STDs take a major toll on the cases. Following are the types of STDs that can cause mouth sore symptoms and other oral signs –

  • Chlamydia
  • Gonorrhea
  • Syphilis
  • Oral Herpes
  • HIV
  • HPV
Oral STDs: Symptoms and Statistics
Oral STDs: Symptoms and Statistics

Chlamydia: Mouth Sores and Symptoms

Chlamydia is a type of bacteria STD that is caused by a bacteria called Chlamydia Trachomatis – it is a highly contagious infection that transfers from one person to another through sexual contact. Chlamydia is transmitted via oral sex and if the symptoms are seen around the mouth, like white spots on the tongue, mouth sores, and sore throat then it is termed Oral Chlamydia.

Chlamydia is the most commonly reported STDs in the United States which is followed by Gonorrhea and Syphilis. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 3 million cases of Chlamydia were reported and diagnosed in the year 2018 alone in the US.

Gonorrhea: Mouth Sores and Symptoms

Gonorrhea is the second most commonly reported STD, with a whopping 1.14 million new cases of Gonorrhea is recorded every single year in the United States. Gonorrhea is similar to Chlamydia in the causing agent, it is caused by Neisseria Gonorrhoeae which can infect your oral cavity including mouth, tongue, tonsils, and lips.

Gonorrhea and Chlamydia can be cured if addressed and treated at the right time. However, then can also lead to severe health complications if delayed or diagnosis is lapsed – such as infertility, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and UTI infections.

Syphilis: Mouth Sores and Symptoms

Syphilis is a little different compared to Chlamydia and Gonorrhea. This disease progresses in three stages which are the primary stage, where symptoms like fever and nausea occur, then comes a second stage where the symptoms gradually progress and results in genital discharge, mouth sores, and sore throat. Syphilis caused by mouth sores is also known as chancers which look like small reddish pimples which can be highly contagious and painful.

Syphilis is more dangerous compared to Chlamydia and Gonorrhea as it can cause neurological disorders causing brain defects and spine problems if left untreated and undiagnosed for a long time.

Oral Herpes: Mouth Sores and Symptoms

Unlike the above three types, herpes is caused by a virus termed as Herpes Simple Virus (HSV) and they are classified as two types HSV-1 and HSV-2. Herpes is also highly contagious yet shows little-to-no symptoms in the early stages. Signs of oral herpes are blisters in your mouth which can be clear, pink, red, yellow, or gray in color, and/or sore throat, pain while eating or swallowing, fever and fatigue.

How are STDs Diagnosed?

If you are sexually active and experiencing any of the STD-related symptoms like sore throat, genital discharge, mouth sores, and fever. Then get tested for STDs right away without further delay or the symptoms to appear on break-out level. When it comes to STDS, the quicker to respond and get diagnosed, it is easy for you to recover back and get rid of the symptoms.

If you are tested positive on STD tests, your physician will assess your stage and which type of STD you are infected with along with the symptoms that you are facing. You shall be prescribed anti-biotics if you are infected by bacteria causing STDs like Chlamydia or Gonorrhea.

Can STDs be Cured?

Sexually Transmitted Diseases are not like normal flu-like diseases or infection which stays for a while and then disappears even when no medication is taken. STDs can be tricky. Some type of STDs like HIV and Syphilis progresses in multiple stages that are hard to assess due to the nature of low-key symptoms and termination of the disease completely is impossible to date.

However, not all STDs are incurable. STDs that are caused by bacteria can be killed with the help of medicinal drugs that you’ll be prescribed by your doctor. It is crucial to complete the full course of medicine to avoid the recurrence of mouth sores and other STD symptoms. In the case of virus-based STDs, you shall be prescribed anti-retroviral drugs to suppress the activity of the Herpes or HIV virus and you will be continuing the medicines for a period of time as prescribed by your doctor.

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