How can an STI be cured?

Leaving an STI untreated will not make it go away. You need to get treatment by visiting your doctor.

Some infections require treatment combined with long-term monitoring and management. Once you get tested and know which STI you have, you can receive the right course of medication to clear or manage your infection.

Unfortunately, drinking plenty of water and getting rest will not cure a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Bacterial STIs, such as Chlamydia, are generally easier to treat and cure, even if you have had the infections before. This is true also of more serious bacterial infections like Syphilis. However, recent cases of antibiotic resistance from infections such as Gonorrhoea and Mycoplasma are causing some commonly prescribed courses of treatment to be ineffective.

Viral sexually transmitted infections cannot always be cured; however, they can be managed with specific treatment. Herpes, for example, cannot be cured, but the symptoms of the outbreaks can be managed with the right medication.

Human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus that causes Genital Warts, lives in the body permanently. However, many of the symptoms caused by the virus, like Genital Warts, can be treated with procedures like freezing or surgery.

How is an STI treated?

Antibiotics

Antibiotics cure many bacterial sexually transmitted infections
It must be prescribed by a medical professional
Some types of antibiotics can be taken orally or as an injection; this will depend on which STI you have contracted
It is important to finish the full course of treatment, even if any symptoms you have clear
You should abstain from sex, as directed by your doctor
Ensure your partners get tested and treated to prevent re-infection.

Other medications

If you have tested positive for HIV, Hepatitis B and/ or Hepatitis C, it is important to get the right treatment for you under the care of a specialist. We will help you to get an appointment.

An illustration of two doctors wearing green standing next to a container with tablets in.

If you test positive for an STI, it is really important to get the right treatment for you, depending on your own health and status. Do not try to self medicate or buy unlicensed drugs. They may not cure you and could contribute to antibiotic resistance.
Anthea Morris, Co-Founder Better2Know