Quick Answer

STDs divide roughly evenly between causes: chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and mycoplasma genitalium are bacterial (curable with antibiotics). HIV, herpes, HPV, hepatitis, and molluscum are viral (manageable, not curable). Trichomoniasis is a parasite, and pubic lice/scabies are ectoparasites.

  • Bacterial: treatable with specific antibiotics. Resistance emerging (especially gonorrhea).
  • Viral: incurable but manageable with antivirals, suppression, and immune control.
  • Parasitic: trichomoniasis — curable with one dose of metronidazole or tinidazole.
  • Ectoparasites: lice and scabies — treatable with topical permethrin or ivermectin.

Context Most Pages Skip

The distinction drives treatment strategy: bacteria have cell walls and metabolic pathways that antibiotics target; viruses hide inside human cells where only antivirals or immune clearance reach them.

Why it matters practically

Curability follows cause: bacterial infections cure completely, viral infections require management. Knowing which type you have determines whether treatment is a short course or a lifelong protocol.

⚕️ This page is educational and does not replace advice from a licensed clinician. If you may have been exposed to an STI, get tested — most infections are manageable, and many are fully curable.

Sources & Further Reading

Figures reflect CDC surveillance and WHO estimates; they are population statistics, not personal risk predictions.