Both! STD stands for “sexually transmitted disease” and STI stands for “sexually transmitted infection.” People often use the terms interchangeably, but “STI” has become more common in recent years, especially among healthcare providers. STI is more accurate because an infection is what is actually spread from person to person through sexual contact in the form of a virus, bacteria, fungus, or parasite. Our goal is to prevent the spread and to treat the infection before it develops into the disease. Remember, you can have an infection without having any symptoms– which is why it’s so important to get tested!
To learn more about these terms, click this link to the CDC website.
While BCHD generally uses STI, both terms appear on this page to make it easier to find no matter what words someone types into a search engine.