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Table of Contents
Diagnosis
When to Get Tested
The viruses, bacteria, and parasites that cause sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have different incubation periods, or timeframes between when they are passed on and when symptoms appear. Some incubation periods only last a few days, while others can last weeks or months. It is also possible to never have any symptoms at all.
Knowing how long theincubation periodsare for the various infections that causeSTIsmay help you better recognize the signs and symptoms if they occur, though this is not a sure way to determine if you are or are not infected.
Verywell
Incubation Periods By Infection Type
The time between exposure to asexually transmitted infection (STI)and the onset of symptoms varies. It is important to remember that some people may experienceasymptomatic(symptom-free) infection and still be able to infect others.
The incubation period is the length of time between when you are infected with acontagious or infectiousorganism like a virus or bacteria and when symptoms first appear. The incubation period is not the same thing as thewindow period, which is the time between when you are infected and when a lab test is able to detect the infection.
Chlamydia
The incubation period of chlamydia is roughly seven to 21 days from the time of exposure.
Chlamydia is often referred to as a “silent” infection because most people with chlamydia have no symptoms or abnormal findings during a physical exam.
Gonorrhea
The incubation period of gonorrhea ranges from one to 14 days, with most men developing symptoms within two to five days.The incubation period in women can vary, but symptoms, if any, usually develop within 10 days of exposure.
Syphilis
Syphilis infection occurs in stages. The initial stage, called the primary infection, is the period after exposure when symptoms may or may not occur. The incubation period for this stage is around three weeks but can span anywhere from 10 to 90 days.
Chancroid
The incubation period of chancroid is between four and 10 days but may take up to 35 days.On occasion, chancroid can cause syphilis-like sores within 24 hours if genital tissues are damaged at the time of sexual intercourse.
Trichomoniasis
The incubation period of trichomoniasis is between five and 28 days.
Scabies
If you’ve never had scabies before, the incubation period may be anywhere from two to six months. If you were previously infected, symptoms may show up after one to four days.
Genital Warts
Not all strains of HPV cause genital warts. In fact, most are relatively harmless.Some high-risk strains cause changes in cells that can lead tocervical cancerand other cancers of the genitals, anus, or mouth.
If you are a female with genital warts, your healthcare provider may perform aPap testto see if there are any early signs of cancer. Less commonly ananal Pap testmay be performed if you have anal warts.
The HPV strains associated with genital warts generally do not cause cancer.
Genital Herpes
The incubation period for the main cause of genital herpes—herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2)—is between two and 12 days.HSV-1 can also cause genital herpes and is becoming more of a factor, especially in young women.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
HIVis the human immunodeficiency virus. HIV infection progresses in stages as the virus gradually depletes disease-fighting immune cells. Over time, this leaves the body vulnerable toopportunistic infections.
The initial stage, called acute seroconversion, can cause flu-like symptoms or no symptoms at all. The incubation period for acute HIV is between two to three weeks (although symptoms can sometimes take up to three months to develop).
After the acute symptoms resolve, the virus will go into a period of latency that can last 10 to 15 years or even more.Eventually, when enough immune cells have been destroyed, the infection can progress to the most advanced stage of infection, known asacquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Without treatment, a person diagnosed with AIDS has a survival time of roughly two years.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is often asymptomatic in the early stages. If symptoms occur, the incubation period is roughly 90 days (with a range of between 60 and 150 days).
Although many people are able to spontaneously clear the virus, the infection will persist in others, leading to achronic infection. A small percentage will go on to developliver cirrhosis,liver failure, orliver canceryears down the line.
Molluscum Contagiosum
Molluscum contagiosumis a type of virus that can be sexually transmitted. Symptoms include an outbreak of smooth, pearly-white bumps on the skin.
Molluscum is also very common among children due to close contact with classmates and siblings.
The incubation period of molluscum contagious is unclear but is thought to range anywhere from seven days to six months.
How STIs Are Diagnosed
Doctors diagnose different STIs in different ways. For example,urine testscan detect gonorrhea and chlamydia, whereasblood testsdetect syphilis, herpes, and HIV. Testing for other infections requires genital swabs.
A lack of symptoms is no guarantee that you don’t have an STI. You may be infected and be able to transmit the disease to your sexual partners. That’s why there is no substitute forregular screening.
The timing of testing depends on which STI you may have been exposed to. With some STIs, a test can return an accurate diagnosis within a few weeks. Others may require you to wait for months before the test can accurately detectantibodiesand other markers of infection.
The time between the first infection and when a test can reliably detect that infection is known as thewindow period.
While the incubation period and window period are often closely aligned, a few tests can diagnose an STI well before symptoms appear or when the infection is asymptomatic.
Testing prematurely within the window period can increase the risk of afalse-negativeresult. This means that you have been infected even if the test says you haven’t.
Here is a general overview of window periods for some of the more common STIs:
InfectionWindow PeriodChlamydia1-2 weeksGonorrhea1-2 weeksSyphilis1-3 monthsChancroid4-10 daysTrichomoniasis1 week to 1 monthScabies4-6 weeksGenital wartsNo screening testGenital herpes1-4 monthsHIV2-6 weeksHepatitis B3-6 weeksMolluscum contagiosumNo screening testSummaryThe incubation period of STIs depends on which one you were exposed to. The time from exposure to when symptoms appear can range from a few days to as long as six months.In addition, some STIs may not cause symptoms at all. That means you may be infected but be unaware of it. That’s why regular STI testing is essential.
Summary
The incubation period of STIs depends on which one you were exposed to. The time from exposure to when symptoms appear can range from a few days to as long as six months.
In addition, some STIs may not cause symptoms at all. That means you may be infected but be unaware of it. That’s why regular STI testing is essential.
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26 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About chlamydia.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About gonorrhea.Planned Parenthood.What are the symptoms of syphilis?Gonzalez-Beira C, Marks M, Chen CY, Roberts S, Mitja O.Epidemiology ofHaemophilus ducreyiinfections.Emerg Infect Dis.2016;22(1):1-8.Government of South Australia SA Health.Chancroid - including symptoms, treatment and prevention.Agharbi FZ.Chancroid.Pan Afr Med J. 2019 Jul 11;33:185. doi:10.11604/pamj.2019.33.185.16187Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About trichomoniasis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.DPDx - laboratory identification of parasites of public health concern: trichomoniasis (trichomonas vaginalis).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.DPDx - Scabies.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of scabies.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About genital HPV infection.NYU Langone Health.Types of human papillomavirus.National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.HPV and cancer.Hosseini MS, Khosravi D, Farzaneh F, et al.Evaluation of anal cytology in women with history of abnormal pap smear, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical cancer and high risk HPV for anogenital dysplasia.Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2018;19(11):3071–5. doi:10.31557/APJCP.2018.19.11.3071Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Basic information about HPV and cancer.World Health Organization.Herpes simplex virus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About HIV.United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.HIV and AIDS - basic facts.Poorlajal J, Hooshmand E, Mahjub H, Esmailnasab N, Jenabi E.Survival rate of AIDS disease and mortality in HIV-infected patients: a meta-analysis.Public Health. 2016;139:3-12. doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2016.05.004Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of hepatitis B.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of molluscum contagiosum.Government of Victoria Department of Health.Molluscum contagiosum.Workowski KA, Bachmann LH, Chan PA, et al.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021.MMWR Recomm Rep. 2021;70(4):1-187. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7004a1University of Oregon Health Center.STI screening timetable.Delaney KP, Hanson DL, Masciotra S, Ethridge SF, Wesolowski L, Owen SM.Time until emergence of HIV test reactivity following infection with hIV-1: implications for interpreting test results and retesting after exposure.Clin Infect Dis. 2017;64(1):53-59. doi:10.1093/cid/ciw666
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About chlamydia.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About gonorrhea.Planned Parenthood.What are the symptoms of syphilis?Gonzalez-Beira C, Marks M, Chen CY, Roberts S, Mitja O.Epidemiology ofHaemophilus ducreyiinfections.Emerg Infect Dis.2016;22(1):1-8.Government of South Australia SA Health.Chancroid - including symptoms, treatment and prevention.Agharbi FZ.Chancroid.Pan Afr Med J. 2019 Jul 11;33:185. doi:10.11604/pamj.2019.33.185.16187Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About trichomoniasis.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.DPDx - laboratory identification of parasites of public health concern: trichomoniasis (trichomonas vaginalis).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.DPDx - Scabies.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of scabies.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About genital HPV infection.NYU Langone Health.Types of human papillomavirus.National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.HPV and cancer.Hosseini MS, Khosravi D, Farzaneh F, et al.Evaluation of anal cytology in women with history of abnormal pap smear, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical cancer and high risk HPV for anogenital dysplasia.Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2018;19(11):3071–5. doi:10.31557/APJCP.2018.19.11.3071Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Basic information about HPV and cancer.World Health Organization.Herpes simplex virus.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About HIV.United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.HIV and AIDS - basic facts.Poorlajal J, Hooshmand E, Mahjub H, Esmailnasab N, Jenabi E.Survival rate of AIDS disease and mortality in HIV-infected patients: a meta-analysis.Public Health. 2016;139:3-12. doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2016.05.004Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of hepatitis B.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of molluscum contagiosum.Government of Victoria Department of Health.Molluscum contagiosum.Workowski KA, Bachmann LH, Chan PA, et al.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021.MMWR Recomm Rep. 2021;70(4):1-187. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7004a1University of Oregon Health Center.STI screening timetable.Delaney KP, Hanson DL, Masciotra S, Ethridge SF, Wesolowski L, Owen SM.Time until emergence of HIV test reactivity following infection with hIV-1: implications for interpreting test results and retesting after exposure.Clin Infect Dis. 2017;64(1):53-59. doi:10.1093/cid/ciw666
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About chlamydia.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexually transmitted infections.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About gonorrhea.
Planned Parenthood.What are the symptoms of syphilis?
Gonzalez-Beira C, Marks M, Chen CY, Roberts S, Mitja O.Epidemiology ofHaemophilus ducreyiinfections.Emerg Infect Dis.2016;22(1):1-8.
Government of South Australia SA Health.Chancroid - including symptoms, treatment and prevention.
Agharbi FZ.Chancroid.Pan Afr Med J. 2019 Jul 11;33:185. doi:10.11604/pamj.2019.33.185.16187
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About trichomoniasis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.DPDx - laboratory identification of parasites of public health concern: trichomoniasis (trichomonas vaginalis).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.DPDx - Scabies.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Symptoms of scabies.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About genital HPV infection.
NYU Langone Health.Types of human papillomavirus.
National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health.HPV and cancer.
Hosseini MS, Khosravi D, Farzaneh F, et al.Evaluation of anal cytology in women with history of abnormal pap smear, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, cervical cancer and high risk HPV for anogenital dysplasia.Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2018;19(11):3071–5. doi:10.31557/APJCP.2018.19.11.3071
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Basic information about HPV and cancer.
World Health Organization.Herpes simplex virus.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About HIV.
United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.HIV and AIDS - basic facts.
Poorlajal J, Hooshmand E, Mahjub H, Esmailnasab N, Jenabi E.Survival rate of AIDS disease and mortality in HIV-infected patients: a meta-analysis.Public Health. 2016;139:3-12. doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2016.05.004
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of hepatitis B.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Clinical overview of molluscum contagiosum.
Government of Victoria Department of Health.Molluscum contagiosum.
Workowski KA, Bachmann LH, Chan PA, et al.Sexually transmitted infections treatment guidelines, 2021.MMWR Recomm Rep. 2021;70(4):1-187. doi:10.15585/mmwr.rr7004a1
University of Oregon Health Center.STI screening timetable.
Delaney KP, Hanson DL, Masciotra S, Ethridge SF, Wesolowski L, Owen SM.Time until emergence of HIV test reactivity following infection with hIV-1: implications for interpreting test results and retesting after exposure.Clin Infect Dis. 2017;64(1):53-59. doi:10.1093/cid/ciw666
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