Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

In short

  • An STI (sexually transmitted infection) is an illness you can get through sex, especially sex without a condom.
  • An STI often causes no symptoms, so you can pass it on without knowing it.
  • The most common STIs are chlamydia, gonorrhoea, genital herpes, genital warts and mycoplasma.
  • You can have an STI test done by your GP or at the GGD, the public health service (free of charge at GGD Amsterdam).
  • Most STIs do not go away on their own: the sooner you are treated, the better.

What is an STI?

An STI is an illness you can get through sex, especially sex without a condom. It is usually caused by a bacterium or a virus. You can have an STI without noticing anything, which means you can also pass it on to someone else without knowing it.

The most common STIs are chlamydia, gonorrhoea, genital herpes, genital warts and mycoplasma. Syphilis, HIV, hepatitis B, trichomonas and pubic lice are less common.

Which symptoms can an STI cause?

An STI often causes no symptoms at all. Sometimes there are symptoms, for example:

  • a change in vaginal discharge: more than usual, a different colour or a stronger smell
  • bleeding after sex, or when you are not having your period
  • small sores, blisters or warts on the labia or around the vagina, anus or mouth
  • pain in the lower abdomen
  • pain or a burning feeling when you urinate
  • itching, swollen glands in the groin, sometimes fever

When is an STI test a good idea?

Get tested if any of the following applies to you:

  • You have symptoms that could fit an STI.
  • You have had sex without a condom, or the condom broke.
  • You are starting a new relationship and want to have sex without a condom.
  • Your sexual partner has an STI, or a previous partner lets you know they have one.

If you have symptoms, you can be tested straight away. If you have no symptoms, wait 2 weeks after the last unprotected sex: testing earlier can miss an infection. For HIV, the test is reliable after 4 weeks, with a repeat test 3 months later. Use a condom, or do not have sex, until you know the result.

Does the test show you have an STI? Most STIs do not go away on their own; treatment is needed, and it is different for each STI. The sooner you are treated, the better: early treatment prevents serious symptoms and complications. If you have one STI, the chance of having another is higher, so you can be tested for other STIs as well.

You can have an STI test done by your GP or at the GGD, the public health service (in Amsterdam: GGD Amsterdam). Testing at the GGD is free of charge, but not everyone can be seen there. At the GP, the laboratory costs count towards your health-insurance excess (“eigen risico”).

The doctor or nurse asks a few questions and sometimes examines you. The test itself uses urine, a swab of fluid from the vagina, anus or throat, or blood (for syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B). Genital herpes and genital warts usually need no test: the doctor recognises them by how they look. The result takes about 1 week. Self-tests from the chemist are not reliable.

What are genital warts?

Genital warts — warts on the vagina, labia or anus — are an STI. They are caused by a virus: HPV (human papillomavirus). Almost everyone in the Netherlands is infected with this virus at some point, but most people never develop warts from it.

Good to know: the warts are not dangerous, and they often clear on their own, though this can take many months to a couple of years. They are caused by different HPV types than the types that can cause cervical cancer, so genital warts cannot give you cancer.

The warts are small (1 to 5 millimetres), pinkish-red or greyish-white, and the top looks a little like cauliflower. Sometimes they sit inside the vagina, where you cannot see them yourself. They can also cause itching, pain or a burning feeling.

If the warts bother you, treatment is possible: a prescription cream you apply yourself, or treatment by a doctor (applying an acid solution, freezing with liquid nitrogen, or removal with a small electric needle). If you are pregnant, only freezing is safe. A condom does not protect completely, and even after the warts have gone the virus can still be present. A vaccine against this virus exists; you pay for it yourself.

How do you prevent an STI?

  • Use a condom or a dental dam for all types of sex.
  • New steady relationship? Use condoms for at least 3 months, and then both get tested if you want to have sex without one.
  • Do not share sex toys without cleaning them or using a new condom, and do not share towels or razors.

Do you have an STI? Then tell the people you have had sex with, usually going back 6 months (sometimes a shorter or longer period, depending on the STI). They can then get tested and treated too. This can be done anonymously, via the Dutch website partnerwaarschuwing.nl. Do not have sex until your treatment is finished, or use a condom.

What can Gynaecologie Amsterdam do about an STI?

In the Netherlands, STI testing usually runs through your GP or the GGD. As a gynaecology practice, we mainly see STIs in women who come to us with symptoms such as abnormal discharge, abdominal pain, bleeding or pain during sex, or as a finding during an examination. If you are under our care with a referral from your GP and an STI could explain your symptoms, we can test for it and discuss the treatment with you. If we see genital warts during an examination, we can treat them or refer you for treatment. If you only want an STI test and have no symptoms, please contact your GP or GGD Amsterdam.

Frequently asked questions

Can I have an STI without symptoms?

Yes. An STI often causes no symptoms at all, which means you can also pass it on without knowing it. That is why you should get tested after unprotected sex, or if a (previous) sexual partner turns out to have an STI.

How soon after unprotected sex can I take an STI test?

If you have symptoms, you can be tested straight away. If you have no symptoms, wait 2 weeks after the last unprotected sex: testing earlier can miss an infection. For HIV, the test is reliable after 4 weeks, with a repeat test 3 months later.

Are STI self-tests from the chemist reliable?

No, self-tests from the chemist are not reliable. Have an STI test done by your GP or at the GGD; the result takes about 1 week.

Can genital warts give you cancer?

No. Genital warts are caused by different HPV types than the types that can cause cervical cancer. The warts are not dangerous and often clear on their own, though this can take many months to a couple of years.

Related care

  • Vaginal discharge — a change in discharge can be a symptom that fits an STI.
  • Vulva — symptoms of the labia and the skin around the vagina.
  • Pain during sex — pain during sex can have several causes, sometimes an STI.

Do you have symptoms and a referral from your GP? Make an appointment at Gynaecologie Amsterdam.

Read more

This information is based on Thuisarts.nl, the patient-information website of the Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG).