Dr. Samuel Bride is the medical director at UMD Urgent Care in New York, NY, US, where he oversees staff members and treats patients for a variety of conditions. A physician who earned his MD from the Boston University School of Medicine, Dr. Samuel “Sam” Bride has a background in urology. As a result, he is familiar with the testing and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
STDs are transmitted through unprotected sexual activity between two or more partners. Examples include genital herpes, syphilis, HIV, hepatitis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. Different STDs have different symptoms. Some of the more common symptoms are genital sores or discharge, a burning sensation while urinating, flu-like symptoms, and pain or itchiness in the groin.
People experiencing symptoms are likely to seek medical care. Sometimes, however, people with STDs don’t have any symptoms. This does not mean they are not sick. In fact, the longer they remain untreated, the more the disease can compromise their health. With this in mind, the CDC recommends that all people who are sexually active get tested at least once annually.
