Sexually transmitted diseases are the most common infection in the world. They mainly affect young people between the age of 15-24 who are sexually active and are spread via skin-to-skin contact through oral, vaginal, or anal sex. Sexually transmitted infections spread through vaginal fluids, pre-cum, semen, saliva, rectal fluids, blood, and breast milk.

Sexually transmitted infections are many, and they include gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, human papillomavirus, HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, etc. Pathogens like viruses, bacteria, and fungi cause them. Once infected, these microorganisms move to the body through the body fluids. But can they survive outside the body? And if yes, it brings us to the question, how long can STDs live outside the body?

To get the answer to this disturbing question, we will look at the common STDS, their causes, how long the microorganism causing them can live outside the body, symptoms, treatment, and prevention. Read on to learn.

Common STDs and how long they can live outside the body

To comprehensively answer the question of how long can the common STDs live outside the body, we need to first understand the common STDs. Let's dive into common STDs.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis, the most common bacterial STI. Chlamydia spreads through oral, vaginal, and anal sexual contact. It passes via genital fluids, semen, and vaginal.

Pregnant women can also pass chlamydia to their babies during delivery which can cause serious problems like eye infections in the newborns.

Like other STIs, chlamydia is common in sexually active people, normally in the age bracket of 15-24. It is rare for chlamydia to show symptoms. In people with chlamydia, an estimated 40-96 percent have no symptoms though you can still pass it to your partner even without symptoms.

However, when chlamydia shows symptoms, they can vary with gender. Men can experience symptoms like:

  • Burning sensation when urinating
  • Painful testicles
  • Green or yellow discharge from the penis
  • Lower abdomen pain

They can also experience the following symptoms if they have a chlamydia infection in the anus:

  • Anal discharge
  • Painful anus
  • Bleeding anus

You can also get a chlamydia infection in your throat if you have oral sex with an infected person, which can lead to a sore throat, cough, and fever. 

Symptoms of chlamydia in women include:

  • Vaginal discharge
  • Painful sexual intercourse
  • Pain in the lower abdomen
  • Bleeding between periods
  • Inflammation of the cervix

A woman who doesn't treat chlamydia can make the infection spread to the fallopian tube leading to pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). If you have PID, you will experience symptoms like:

  • Fever 
  • Severe pelvic pain
  • Nausea
  • Vaginal bleeding between the periods

Women can also get a chlamydia infection in their rectum, which may not cause symptoms like other parts. However, if the symptoms occur, they may include rectal discharge, pain, and bleeding.

They can also get a chlamydia infection in their throat through oral sex and cause similar symptoms to those of males.

The bacterium causing chlamydia, chlamydia trachomatis can survive in a humid condition. It cannot live for long outside the body because of unfavorable conditions. It can only survive outside the body for about 2-3 hours before it dies. This is why it is nearly impossible to transmit chlamydia through contact with clothing or contaminated surfaces.

I hope now you have the answer to the question, how long can common STDs live outside the body?

Gonorrhea

Gonorrhea is another common sexually transmitted disease. It is caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae and mainly affects warm and moist body areas like the anus, vagina, eyes, throat, and urethra. It can also affect the female reproductive system, including the fallopian tube, uterus, and cervix.

Gonorrhea spreads through skin-to-skin sexual contact, including vaginal, oral, and anal sex. It can affect any gender and people of any age, but it is common in young people between the ages of 15-24.

Gonorrhea is transmitted through sexual intercourse, and therefore, using protection can reduce your risk of contracting or transmitting it. But know that this can completely prevent you from getting a gonorrhea infection. Mothers can also transmit gonorrhea to their babies during delivery which can cause serious health issues to their newborns, like an eye infection.

Like chlamydia, gonorrhea doesn't cause symptoms in most cases. However, you can still transmit the infection even without symptoms. If gonorrhea does course symptoms, it can affect many parts of the body and may vary with gender.

Men may develop gonorrhea symptoms 2-30 days after exposure, and they include:

  • Burning sensation while urinating
  • Swollen and painful testicles
  • Frequent urge to urinate
  • A pus-like discharge that can be yellow, greenish, or white. 
  • Swollen and discolored penis opening
  • Itching anus
  • Painful bowel movements
  • Rectal discharge

In women, the symptoms may take several weeks to appear, and they may include the following:

  • Painful bowel movements
  • Vaginal discharge that can be greenish, watery, or creamy
  • Rectal discharge
  • Sharp pain in the lower abdomen
  • Frequent urge to urinate
  • Burning sensation while urinating
  • Heavy periods
  • Pain during sexual intercourse, specifically penetrative vaginal sex

Though rarely, you can get gonorrhea infection of the eye if you touch the infected genitals and then touch your eye with the infected hands.

Leaving gonorrhea untreated can cause serious complications like infertility in both men and women, increased risk of HIV, and complications in babies.

You can diagnose gonorrhea using a urine or blood test and then treat it with antibiotic medications.

You want to know how long the common STDs can live outside the body? The bacterium causing gonorrhea cannot survive outside the human host for long. It can only survive a few minutes. This implies that you are unlikely to spread gonorrhea through sharing clothes or contact with infected surfaces.

Syphilis

Syphilis is a chronic sexually transmitted bacterial infection that spreads through sexual contact. The bacterium Treponema pallidum causes syphilis, and like other STIs, it mainly affects sexually active people.

After infection, syphilis may develop chancres or sores, and one can get it in direct contact with these chancres. These sores can develop in the mouth, anus, vagina, and penis. The primary transmission of syphilis is through sexual contact, which can be oral, vaginal, or vaginal sex, or you can transmit it through direct genital-to-genital contact.

Syphilis occurs in four stages primary, secondary, latent, and tertiary. It rarely shows symptoms, but when it does, the most noticeable symptom occurs in the primary stage; the development of chancres. The primary stage is where syphilis is most infectious when you come into contact with the chancre. Syphilis can also cause other symptoms like:

  • Skin rashes
  • Sore throat
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Weight loss
  • Fever
  • Fatigue
  • Hair loss
  • Aching joints

During the latent stage, you may not notice any symptoms as the symptoms in the primary and secondary stages disappear. But, the last stage of syphilis, the tertiary stage, is the most dangerous and life-threatening. In this stage, you'll experience symptoms like:

  • Heart disease
  • Infection of the brain or spinal cord
  • Memory loss
  • Blindness
  • Neurological disorders like stroke or meningitis
  • Hearing loss

You can cure primary or secondary-stage syphilis with a single shot of penicillin. You can prevent syphilis by using condoms or dental dams whenever you are having sex, avoiding sex toys, and regularly getting STI screening. 

Without treatment, syphilis can increase the risk of HIV infection, neurological problems, cardiovascular problems, and pregnancy and childbirth complications.

To answer the question of how long can the common STDs live outside the body, Treponema pallidum cannot survive outside the human body as the condition outside is unfavorable. It can survive only a few minutes before it dies.

Human immunodeficiency virus

Human immunodeficiency virus is a virus causing a chronic and life-threatening disease called acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). From the term' immunodeficiency,' this virus damages the body's immune system, affecting the body's ability to fight infections.

HIV is a sexually transmitted infection that spreads through bodily fluids like blood, semen, vagina fluids, rectal fluids, and breast milk. HIV can affect any age and gender, but like other STDs, it is common in sexually active people.

The virus can also spread through sharing sharp objects like needles, drug injection use, and contact with the infected blood. Pregnant women can also spread the virus to their babies during pregnancy, delivery, or breastfeeding.

HIV is a viral STI with no cure though there are medications to manage the infections and increase life expectancy. Without antiviral treatments, the virus can affect the body faster and reduce life expectancy to 3 years.

HIV causes many symptoms that vary with the phase of the infection. But in general, the symptoms of HIV can include:

  • Cough 
  • Weight loss
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Night sweats
  • Rashes
  • Muscles aches
  • Joint pain
  • Sore throat
  • Painful mouth sores
  • Diarrhea
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Fatigue
  • Thrush
  • Shingles
  • Pneumonia
  • Chills

HIV can lead to many complications because it weakens the immune system making it hard for the body to fight off infections. The common infections due to HIV include:

  • Tuberculosis
  • Cytomegalovirus
  • Candidiasis
  • Pneumocystis pneumonia
  • Cryptococcal meningitis

HIV has no cure, but you can manage it using antiviral medications. You can also prevent the spread of this deadly infection by consistently and correctly using condoms anytime you have sex, avoiding sharing needles, letting your partner know if you have the virus, etc.

HIV is one of the common STDs, and you probably want the answer to the question of how long can the common STDs live outside the body . HIV cannot survive outside the body for long as the condition is not conducive; it can survive for a few minutes or hours and then die. It can also not reproduce outside the human host.

Human papillomavirus

Human papillomavirus is the most common sexually transmitted viral infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HPV has more than 100 strains, with over 40 spreading through sexual contact. HPV is so common that almost everyone sexually active has contracted at least one of its strains.

Human papillomavirus affects sexually active people between the ages of 15-24 though it can affect any age and gender like other STDs. HPV spreads through skin-to-skin contact and sexual intercourse, genital, anal, or oral. The virus can enter the body through skin tear, cut, or abrasion.

HPV causes very contagious warts, as you can spread them through direct contact or by touching a contaminated object.

In most cases, HPV doesn't cause noticeable symptoms. About 90 percent of HPV infections go away after two years. But, within the two years, the virus lives in your body, you can unknowingly spread it even without symptoms.

The HPV virus that doesn't go away on its own can cause serious problems like genital warts, warts in the throat, and cervical cancer.

The virus is incurable, but it can go away on its own. If HPV causes genital warts, your doctor can prescribe medications for you. They can also remove warts by burning them with an electrical current or freezing them with liquid nitrogen. But removing warts does not treat the virus, causing them so they may return.

After learning about HPV, it is important to know the answer to the question, how long can the common STDs live outside the body? As a common STD, human papillomavirus cannot survive outside the human host for long. It can last for a few minutes before it dies. One cannot contract HPV from surfaces like a toilet seat.

Herpes

Herpes is a very contagious sexually transmitted viral infection. Like other STDs, herpes is very common in sexually active people, youths, and younger adults. However, herpes can affect people of all ages and gender.

The herpes simplex virus causes herpes. There are two types of herpes HPV; the herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2. These two viruses cause two conditions, oral herpes and genital herpes. 

Before we answer the question of how long can the common STDs live outside the body in relation to herpes, let's look at the two types of herpes infection.

Oral herpes

Oral herpes, also called cold sores or fever blisters, is an infection primarily caused by herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) but can also be caused by herpes simplex virus type 2 HSV-2). Cold sores are small blisters filled with fluids that develop in and around the mouth and lips. The oral blisters can rapture, scab, and heal several days after infection, leaving no scars.

Oral herpes spreads through skin-to-skin contact with open sores. Kissing is one of the significant ways you can get an oral herpes infection. You can also spread HSV-1 by sharing towels, eating utensils, and razors. Oral herpes also spreads through oral sex with someone having genital herpes- this is how HSV-2 causes oral herpes.

Oral herpes has no cure, but you can manage its outbreaks and symptoms with antiviral medications and some at-home practices.

The symptoms of oral herpes may include:

  • Painful gums
  • Tiny fluid-filled blisters
  • Painful gums
  • Sore throat
  • Headache
  • Fever
  • Muscle aches
  • Swollen lymph nodes

Oral herpes is very contagious when the blisters are open and oozing, but even without blisters, you can spread the virus. After the first outbreak of herpes infection, the virus can lie dormant but can later reoccur after a trigger due to:

Genital herpes

Genital herpes is a sexually transmitted viral infection causing painful and fluid-filled blisters that can rapture and ooze fluid. Genital herpes is primarily due to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) but can also be caused by HSV-1.

Genital herpes spreads through skin-to-skin contact during sexual intercourse via vaginal or oral sex, and it is transmitted through semen, saliva, and vaginal fluids. Genital herpes affects sexually active people of all gender.

A person with HSV-1 in the mouth can spread the virus to the genitals of their partner during oral sex, causing genital herpes.

Genital herpes rarely shows symptoms, but even without symptoms, you can still transmit it to your partner. When it causes symptoms, they may include:

  • Itching around the genitals
  • Painful urination
  • Vaginal discharge
  • Tiny blisters around the genitals, mouth, or anus
  • Painful ulcers from ruptured blisters that bleed
  • Urethral discharge
  • Scabs
  • Fever
  • Body aches
  • Headache
  • Swollen lymph nodes

Genital herpes has no cure, but you can manage the outbreaks and symptoms with antiviral medications.

Now to answer the question, how long can the common STDs stay outside the body? In regards to the herpes virus, the virus can stay a little longer than other STDs. It can survive outside the body for a few hours to eight weeks.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a liver infection due to the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Hepatitis B is a serious infection, but in most cases, it is a short-term infection. However, some people may experience a chronic hepatitis B infection that lasts more than six months. Chronic hepatitis B is dangerous as it can lead to liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, and liver failure.

Hepatitis B spreads through contact via blood, semen, and other body fluids. The symptoms of hepatitis B can appear as early as two weeks after infection, but in most cases, the symptoms appear 1-4 months after infection. Hepatitis B can cause symptoms like:

  • Joint pain
  • Fever
  • Dark urine
  • Abdominal pain
  • Weakness
  • Fatigue
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Jaundice or yellowing of the skin

The Hepatitis B virus can survive without a human host for about a week, and during this time, you can contract the disease. This one answers the question, how long can the common STDs live outside the body?

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is also another viral infection causing liver infection, which can lead to severe liver damage. Hepatitis C is due to the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The infection rarely causes symptoms; if it does, it can be after several years. For this reason, most people having HCV don't know they have it.

The sign and symptoms of hepatitis C may include:

  • Fatigue
  • Easy bleeding
  • Easy bruising
  • Itchy skin
  • Weight loss
  • Swollen legs
  • Buildup of fluids in the abdomen
  • Slurred speech
  • Drowsiness
  • Loss of appetite
  • Dark-colored urine

To answer the question of how long can the common STDs live outside the body in regards to hepatitis C. HCV can live outside the human host for about three weeks, provided the environment is at or around room temperature.

How to prevent STD infections

STDs spread through sexual contact; therefore, the best way to prevent them is to regularly use protection, especially if you have multiple sex partners.

Most STDs are asymptomatic, but they are still contagious. It is, therefore, important to use protection even if you don't see symptoms. You should also regularly undergo STD screening with your sexual partners to know your status and avoid spreading the infections.

Conclusion

Sexually transmitted infections are common conditions, and having extensive knowledge about them is vital. It can help you know how their causes and how to avoid contracting and spreading them.

Another important thing to know about the common STDs is long they can survive outside the body. This will also help you understand and avoid spreading these infections. 

Contributor: admin