Sexually Transmitted Infecti in Spanish

What it means

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are infections that are passed from one person to another through sexual contact. MedlinePlus says they are usually spread during vaginal, oral, or anal sex, and that some can be passed to the fetus during pregnancy or childbirth. They can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites, and there are more than 20 types, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes, HPV and HIV. STIs don't always cause symptoms or may only cause mild symptoms, so it is possible to have an infection and not know it. MedlinePlus adds that, if not treated, an STI can develop into a sexually transmitted disease (STD); the National Cancer Institute dictionary gives sexually transmitted disease, STD and STI as other names in its entry for sexually transmitted infection.

Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) in Spanish

Spanish term: Infección de transmisión sexual (ITS)
Gender and article: feminine: la infección de transmisión sexual (plural: las infecciones de transmisión sexual)
Pronunciation: een-fek-SYOHN deh trahns-mee-SYOHN sek-SWAHL

Other Spanish terms	Where it is used	Note
ITS	General	Abbreviation: MedlinePlus en español writes it in parentheses after the full term, and the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary gives it as another name.
enfermedad de transmisión sexual	General	Another name given at the end of the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary entry; MedlinePlus en español says the infections, if not treated, can become one.
ETS	General	Abbreviation of enfermedad de transmisión sexual, given as another name by both the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary and MedlinePlus en español; the same MedlinePlus en español page also says that infections that are not treated can become una enfermedad de transmisión sexual (ETS).

No cited page prints the headword Infección de transmisión sexual (ITS) in exactly that form: the National Cancer Institute's Spanish dictionary enters the singular infección de transmisión sexual and gives ITS among its other names, while MedlinePlus en español writes the plural, las infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS). The noun is feminine: una infección. The NCI Spanish dictionary says the term is also called enfermedad de transmisión sexual and ETS. MedlinePlus en español lists enfermedades transmitidas sexualmente, enfermedades venéreas and ETS as other names for its page.

MedlinePlus en español also separates the two terms in one sentence: if they are not treated, the infections can become una enfermedad de transmisión sexual (ETS). Names of infections on that page include clamidia, gonorrea, sífilis, herpes genital, VIH and VPH. It uses pareja for a partner, condón for a condom and prueba de ITS for an STI test.

Phrases for an appointment

What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:

Who	English	Spanish
Patient	I would like to get tested for sexually transmitted infections.	Quisiera hacerme pruebas de infecciones de transmisión sexual.
Clinician	Do you have any symptoms, such as unusual discharge, sores, or pain when you urinate?	¿Tiene algún síntoma, como secreción inusual, llagas o dolor al orinar?
Patient	No, I don't have symptoms, but I have a new partner.	No, no tengo síntomas, pero tengo una pareja nueva.
Clinician	Many STIs do not usually cause symptoms, so it is possible to have one and not know it.	Muchas ITS no suelen causar síntomas, así que es posible tener una y no saberlo.
Clinician	Do you use a condom every time you have sex?	¿Usa condón cada vez que tiene relaciones sexuales?
Patient	Which tests will you do? Is it a blood test or a swab?	¿Qué pruebas me van a hacer? ¿Es un análisis de sangre o una muestra con hisopo?
Patient	My partner has chlamydia. Do I need to be tested too?	Mi pareja tiene clamidia. ¿Yo también necesito hacerme la prueba?
Patient	Is what I tell you here confidential?	¿Lo que le cuento aquí es confidencial?

In 9 languages

Language	Term
English	Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI)
Spanish (Español)	Infección de transmisión sexual (ITS)
Chinese (中文)	性傳播感染
Korean (한국어)	성병
Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt)	Bệnh lây qua đường tình dục
Filipino (Tagalog)	Sexually transmitted infection
Portuguese (Português)	Infecção sexualmente transmissível (IST)
Thai (ภาษาไทย)	โรคติดต่อทางเพศสัมพันธ์
Japanese (日本語)	性感染症

Where you'll see it

chartreferralmedical record

Related ICD-10-CM category

ICD-10-CM code: A64 → Unspecified sexually transmitted disease

Related terms

Your right to an interpreter in the United States

If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.

You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»

More terms: Reproductive health and pregnancy

All terms in this area: Reproductive health and pregnancy — Salud reproductiva y embarazo

Sources

This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.