STI AND STD

Get your facts Right

What's the difference between an STI and an STD? You've got a sexually transmitted infection (STI) when you've been infected by a bacteria, virus or parasite through having unprotected sex. If the infection goes on to cause symptoms, such as unusual discharge from your penis or vagina, you've got a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Generally speaking, the only difference between an STI and an STD is whether you've got symptoms. Either way, you still have an infection that you can pass on to someone else. To keep things simple, in Love Matters we stick to the term STD.