I don’t think I’ve ever in my life taken a cold seriously. Sure, I stock up on meds and snacks while I hibernate under the covers, but my healthcare regimen usually stops there. As I binge-watch Gilmore Girls for the millionth time, I’m not exactly thinking about cold-like symptoms of STDs. Wait. Is that a thing? Unfortunately, yes. Some STD symptoms are frighteningly similar to cold symptoms, which is why you shouldn’t necessarily brush off every fever and ache.
Dr. Tami Prince, OB-GYN and owner of Women’s Health and Wellness Center of Georgia, LLC, tells Elite Daily, “The common cold, also known as an upper respiratory infection (URI), is caused by the rhinovirus so any STD that is also caused by a virus can mimic cold symptoms.” She adds that the STD most likely to feel like a cold is actually HIV but that others, like hepatitis, can have similar symptoms.