Why Are Women More at Risk of Contracting STIs?

women get STIs easier than men

STIs or sexually transmitted infections get passed from one person to another through genital contact or unprotected sex. The most common STIs include genital warts, genital herpes, pubic lice, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, to name a few. There are a number of social and biological factors that make women much more prone to sexually transmitted infections than men.

A Statistic

Center for Disease Control and Prevention claims that 24,000 women get treated for STIs each year in the US alone. Women get STIs easier than men, and this may even lead to infertility in some cases.

STIs should be taken seriously as they can lead to further medical complications. These may affect your future reproductive plans. The most common medical issues associated with STIs are ectopic pregnancy and infertility, which occurs in the most severe instances. In an ectopic pregnancy, the fetus develops outside the uterus.

Anatomy as the Key

The lining of the vagina is thin and very delicate, which means that bacteria can easily penetrate it. Also, its moist environment is a good place for all sorts of bacteria to grow.

Check the Symptoms

Women are usually a lot less likely to show symptoms of gonorrhea and chlamydia than men. This is why in some cases they don’t even ask for professional medical help. Quite often, the symptoms can also be confused with some other medical condition, such as yeast infection. This is why in most cases women tend to overlook the symptoms and opt not to seek help professional medical help.

Conclusion

Due to numerous biological and social factors, women get STIs easier than men. STIs can lead to various complications and may sometimes even lead to infertility.