Sexually transmitted diseases are, at best, uncomfortable. There is no doubt about that. STDs are also common, more so than people realize.

Avert, an international AIDS charity, shows that the United States saw more than 1.2 million new cases of chlamydia reported to health departments in 2008, and that’s only one of the nine STDs.

There are three categories of STDs: bacteria, viruses and parasites. The bacteria include chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. These three diseases are often shrugged off as no big deal, but we’ll get to why that’s not true. The viruses include the four H’s: HIV, herpes, HPV and hepatitis B. There is no cure for any of these four STDs. Once you have them, they do not leave your body, whether or not you experience symptoms. The final group, parasites, includes pubic lice and trich. These are commonly known as the “Spring Break Diseases” because they thrive in warmer climates, such as the places one often goes for Spring Break.

In short, there is a lot of misinformation about STDs floating around out there. Hopefully this clears some of it up for you.

Myth: You can catch STDs from toilet seats.

Explanation: Viruses and bacteria cannot live outside of the body for a long period of time. It is especially difficult for them to live on a cold, hard surface such as a toilet seat. The same goes for parasites. Trich and pubic lice need warmth in order to survive, so a toilet seat does not create a desirable living place for them.

Myth: You can only get herpes if your partner is having an outbreak.

Explanation: It is very possible to get genital herpes from your partner even if he or she is not having an outbreak. About 70 percent of herpes transmission occurs when there are no symptoms present, and many people spread herpes to others before they even know about their own infection.

Myth: If you have an STD, you’ll know.

Explanation: Many STDs do not cause symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 75 percent of women and 50 percent of men show no symptoms when infected with chlamydia. For gonorrhea, 80 percent of women and 10 percent of men will show no symptoms. Many of the viral STDs will also go undetected for quite some time. A person can be infected with herpes for months or even years before they ever have a breakout. HIV also usually takes years to show any symptoms. The only way to know for sure whether or not you have an STD is to get tested.

Myth: Chlamydia and gonorrhea are no big deal and will go away on their own.

Explanation: When left untreated, chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis can cause serious damage. Chlamydia and gonorrhea can cause scarring in the reproductive tracks of both men and women, which can cause infertility. In women, these diseases can also cause pelvic inflammatory disease, which also causes a lot of scarring in the reproductive track. This can lead to infertility and ectopic pregnancy, a condition where the fertilized egg will attach itself somewhere outside of the uterus, usually in one of the fallopian tubes. If this happens, the fallopian tube will burst, and this can be fatal to the mother. Syphilis on the other hand will cause serious damage to the internal organs and nervous system if left untreated. Syphilis usually begins with a painless sore known as a chancre. Usually the chancre goes away within a few weeks, which causes people to believe they no longer have the disease. What is really happening is the syphilis is now traveling further into your body. The reason that chancre is painless is because the bacteria is attacking your nerve cells, so do not mistake this lack of pain to be a good sign.

Myth: If my partner gets tested and they don’t have anything, that means I don’t have to get tested.

Explanation: This could merely mean that you have not spread the infection to your partner yet. As I mentioned before, many diseases have no symptoms, so it is very possible that you are infected and simply do not know it. Again, the only way to know for sure whether or not you have an STD is to get tested.

When getting tested for STDs, it is important to ask for each specific test that you want. Syphilis, herpes, HIV, and Hepatitis B tests are not included in a routine STD screening, so it is important to ask the health care provider for these specific tests if you are concerned.

STDs are no light matter. They are uncomfortable and can often lead to some serious consequences when left untreated. When it comes to STDs, always seek out accurate information.

Leah Hirsch is a Students 2 Students Peer Educator HIV/AIDS Counseling, Testing and Referral Intern for Johnson County Public Health.