Out of curiosity (excluding HIV which is well-documented/answered): I’m wondering if respiratory symptoms (such as nasal and/or throat congestion (phlegm)/soreness/mouth dryness) would be associated with the common STIs?

More specifically, I’ve read these may be symptoms of STIs passed orally but what if the STI was acquired genitally? 

Would you expect an STI passed through the genitals to manifest in the sinuses/respiratory system? Would it be common to have these symptoms and have an STI without typical symptoms such as burning during urination, discharge, itchy/painful genitals, etc.?

There isn’t a lot of great info online able to clarify this.

Thanks in advance and for offering this forum to discuss.

Respiratory signs and symptoms are not common as a result of STI infections.  Most STI‘s occur at mucosal surfaces where transmission occurs, resulting from direct contact with another person’s infection. The closest mucosal surface to the respiratory tract which might be infected by an STI is the throat. Oral pharyngeal STI‘s are relatively uncommon but they certainly do occur. Most oral STI‘s (Gonorrhea is the most common) remain localized to the throat I do not spread to the respiratory tract. Thus cough, sputum production are not signs of an STI. In fact when STI’s occur in the throat they are most often asymptomatic and detected only through testing.

Genital STI’s do not do not pass through the body to cause throat infections.

I hope the information I have provided addresses your question. Respiratory symptoms due to STI’s are uncommon and that is the reason there is not much information about them. If there are further questions or any part of my response is unclear, please feel free to use you were up to to follow ups for clarification. EWH