Summer Fun & STDs: Why Getting Tested Is A Smart Move

Summer in China sees a rise in STDs like syphilis and gonorrhea.
2025-07-01 12:00:00

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STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhea are treatable, but summer raises risks in China.

An 11-year study in China's largest province, Guangdong, found higher syphilis and gonorrhea cases July-Sept in China's largest province, with mainland trends (2006-2019). Seasonal spikes may link to more human contact.

Dr. ZHENG Chen observed, "Holidays, festivals, and nightlife increase opportunities for new sexual partners. Studies suggest condom use may drop in casual summer flings. Further, people may delay seeking care while traveling or busy with summer plans."

ZHENG Chen, MD

Family Medicine

Dr. ZHENG Chen is a Family Medicine Physician at Jiahui Health. He graduated from the School of Medicine at Shanghai Jiaotong University in 2013 and pursued his postgraduate training at multiple teaching hospitals and community clinics in the US, including Kuakini Medical Center in Hawaii, etc. He passed USMLE and received his ECFMG certification. After returning to China, and before joining Jiahui, Dr. Zheng worked at two international clinics as a Family Medicine Physician where he was well regarded among his patients.

Dr. Zheng provides comprehensive and continuous healthcare for individuals and families of all ages for a range of diseases, including acute and chronic diseases in adults and children, travel healthcare, sexually transmitted diseases, as well as woman and child care.

Being a doctor who is passionate about medical education, Dr. Zheng has held multiple training events for young doctors in Shanghai. He is a teacher at his medical school and an instructor for the American Heart Association (AHA) Basic Life Support (BLS) course. He likes to equip his patients with basic medical knowledge so that they are able to make educated healthcare decisions for themselves and their families.

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Learn about STDs

Prevention

Screening

Treatment

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What is a sexually transmitted

disease?

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections primarily spread through sexual contact (vaginal, anal, or oral intercourse).

While some STDs like hepatitis B or HIV can also spread via blood or mother-to-baby transmission, sexual contact remains the most common route.

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What types of sexual behaviors

can transmit diseases?

Any genital contact without protection (including vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse) can transmit STDs.

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What diseases can be transmitted

through intercourse?

Common STDs include chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, trichomonas vaginalis, genital herpes, HPV infection, HIV infection, and hepatitis B/C.

Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV infectionsarenotonly transmitted through sexual contact, but also through blood transmission and mother-to-child transmission. Additionally, syphilis can also be transmitted from mother to fetus.

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What problems can STDs cause?

Both chlamydia and gonorrheacan cause pelvic inflammatory disease, a long-term complication of which is infertility.

Genital herpes, which is caused by a herpes virus infection, can be transmitted to newborns during vaginal delivery. The most serious complication of genital herpes is herpetic encephalitis.

Syphiliscan remain dormant in the body for years without treatment, and can eventually lead to complications in multiple organs such as the bones, heart, and nervous system.

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Purpose & importance of screening

Many STDs are asymptomatic initially (termed STIs). Asymptomatic infections can unknowingly spread to others.

The risk of asymptomatic infections is that it is easier to spread the disease to other people without realizing it. The purpose of screening is to detect possible infections early and avoid the occurrence of the above transmission situations.

Dr. ZHENG said, "If you're sexually active with new or multiple partners, STI screening every 3–6 months is a smart habit."

Scan the QR code below to book the package:

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Recommended screening

groups

  • Sexually active individuals

  • Men having intercourse with other men

  • Past medical history of an STI or STD

  • HIV infection

  • Pregnant women

  • Individuals using illegal drugs

Other individuals may be recommended for screening if they belong to specific risk groups associated with a high prevalence of STIs or belong to a population with a high incidence of STI complications.

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Risk factors

The below behavioral factors increase the risk of STI acquisition:

  • New/multiple partners in the past 60 days

  • Inconsistent or no condom use

  • Sex work exposure

  • Partner with known STD*

If you are not sure whether you need STD screening, it is recommended that you visit the Sexual Health Clinic at Jiahui for a consultation.

Protection

It is important to be aware, protect yourself, and practice safe behaviors, including:

Vaccination (HPV, hepatitis B)

Consistent condom use

Post-exposure screening after high-risk behavior

Department of Family Medicine

General practitioners, also known as family doctors, possess comprehensive medical professional skills and knowledge, excellent health management skills, and a caring touch, and provide personalized, continuous and comprehensive medical and health services to the community.

With the improving quality of modern life and changing lifestyles, people's emphasis on medical health and desire for personalized medical treatment have only increased. General practitioners are derived from modern western medicine and are based on a human-centered medical management model. They provide customers with one-stop and continuous services for everything from preventive healthcare to disease diagnosis and treatment to rehabilitation care by integrating multiple medical resources.

At the Jiahui Family Medicine Department, we will accompany you on your health journey, from disease prevention to health management. With the help of community clinics and specialists, we are more than prepared to oversee the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases, as well as providing long-term chronic disease management for patients. That includes coordinating various specialist referrals, international referrals, and tracking rehabilitation follow-up after patients have been discharged. We work alongside every department at Jiahui Health to provide caring service for the whole family, from ordinary outpatient and inpatient treatment to home care.

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References

  1. https://www.cdc.gov/std/general/default.htm

  2. https://www.cdc.gov/std/herpes/stdfact-herpes.htm

  3. https://www.cdc.gov/std/pid/stdfact-pid.htm

  4. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/herpes-hsv1-and-hsv2/herpes-meningoencephalitis

  5. https://www.uptodate.cn/contents/screening-for-sexually-transmitted-infections?source=Out%20of%20date%20-%20zh-Hans

  6. 1 Tan NX, Tan GX, Yang L-G, et al. Temporal Trends in Syphilis and Gonorrhea Incidences in Guangdong Province, China. J Infect Dis. 2013;209(3):426–430. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jit496. PMCID: PMC3883174.

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