Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are infections a person can get from having sexual contact with someone who has the infection. The most common STDs are chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis and HIV/AIDS. Each of these STDs has its own set of symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, early STD symptoms can include painful urination, abdominal pain, genital discharge and pain during sexual intercourse. HIV/AIDS presents its own unique set of symptoms.
Painful Urination
A majority of patients will experience painful urination as an early STD symptom, according to the Mayo Clinic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, describes this painful urination as a burning sensation in the urinary tract every time a patient tries to urinate. STDs cause inflammation in the urinary track, which leads to burning discomfort when urine passes through it.
Abdominal Pain
STDs affect the body's sexual organs and tracts of which are all located in the lower abdomen region. The female ovaries, for example, are in the lower abdomen and the male testes naturally descend from the lower abdominal region as well. When an STD affects the sexual organs and their peripheries the pain will spread all the way up into the abdominal region.
Discharge
Discharge is an early STD symptom to look out for. Discharge is described by the CDC as a white, yellow or green semi-thick fluid coming out of the sexual organs. In males there will be a discharge from the penis and in women there will be a vaginal discharge. In some bad cases, the discharge may contain traces of blood.
Pain During Sexual Intercourse
People with STDs will find it painful to have sex, as their sexual organs are inflamed by the infection.
Flu-Like Symptoms
HIV/AIDS exhibits flu-like symptoms in its early stages. According to Mayo Clinic, patients who have recently contracted HIV can experience fever, headache, sore throat, rash and swollen lymph nodes; however, some people do not exhibit symptoms for eight to nine years after infection, so by the time they are diagnosed they can already be in the later stages of the disease.
