Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) don’t always look the way people expect—especially in women. And when symptoms are vague, misattributed, or entirely invisible, the consequences can be lasting.
Misdiagnosis isn’t rare, either. It’s the reality for countless women navigating a healthcare system that too often overlooks or misunderstands their symptoms. Conditions like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis are estimated to be more prevalent in women than in men (PMC), yet they’re still underdiagnosed or mistaken for something else.
Women aged 20 to 24 make up the largest group in the U.S. reporting chlamydia infections, and nearly half of all new STDs and STIs occur in people between 15 and 24. These numbers aren’t about promiscuity; they’re about a public health system that often fails to educate, screen, or treat early.
September is Women’s Sexual Health Awareness Month—a time not just for awareness, but for action. That includes breaking the silence around STI symptoms in women, challenging outdated thinking, and making care more accessible with options like online STI treatment.