If you thought they were, you’re not the only one. The terms are often used interchangeably even though they’re different conditions.
So, what’s the diff and why does it matter? We’ll get to that and answer some of your other STI and STD questions here.
STIs are sexually transmitted infections. STDs are sexually transmitted diseases.
An STI is only considered a disease when it causes symptoms. That’s it. That’s the one difference.
Why the switch after years of referring to all sexually transmitted ailments as STDs? To improve accuracy and stigma.
STI is more accurate for most cases. Also, STD is an acronym that causes some people to shudder thanks to years of subpar sex ed and bad after-school specials.
Think of an infection as the first step on the road to disease. Infections haven’t yet turned into disease and often don’t cause any symptoms.
This is actually why many experts are pushing to use STI over STD, and believe “STD” is misleading.…Keep reading the full & the viral video now.
