Weird place where you can get STDs and everyone can see it

It’s just swell.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) affect one in five Americans and most commonly occur in the genitals, anus, and mouth. Now, a professional medical association is warning that another part of the body can become itchy, inflamed, crusted and leaky due to an STI.

The American Academy of Ophthalmology recently shared: “When gonorrhea infects the eye, it causes a form of pinkeye and the discharge of large amounts of pus from the eye.”

Like the genitals and mouth, the eyes have mucous membranes that can be easily invaded by sexually transmitted infections.

Gonorrhea and chlamydia bacteria can infect the eyes through direct contact with the semen or vaginal fluids of an infected person, or when a person rubs their eyes after touching an infected genital area.

Both of these actions can lead to conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye.

Symptoms of pink eye include redness, itching, swelling, a gritty feeling, watery eyes, blurred vision, and a crusty discharge from the nighttime area that makes it difficult to open your eyes in the morning.

Pinkeye is most commonly caused by adenovirus, a respiratory virus that often causes cold-like symptoms.

Irritants such as bacteria, allergens, and chlorine in swimming pools can also cause pink eye.

Another STI eye infection is ocular syphilis, which occurs when Treponema becomes infected. The bacilli usually enter the body through sexual contact.

Last year, a small number of such cases were identified in Michigan — five women who had a male partner.

Ocular syphilis is usually treated with penicillin, and most cases of pinkeye clear up on their own.

In severe cases, untreated STI eye infections can lead to corneal scarring, inflammation, impaired vision, and even permanent vision loss.

See your doctor if you experience pain, light sensitivity, vision changes, or red eyes.