Which STIs can’t be cured? Herpes, HIV, Hepatitis B and HPV

The World Health Organization lists 8 infections behind most STIs. Four can be cured: Syphilis, Gonorrhoea, Chlamydia and Trichomonas. The other four are viruses:

• Herpes stays in the body for life.
• HIV has no cure, but treatment keeps it under control.
• Hepatitis B usually clears up on its own in adults, but long-term (chronic) infection can’t be cured.
• HPV has no treatment, but the body usually clears it within 2 years.

Antibiotics don’t work on viruses, so they can’t treat these viral STIs. Safe and effective vaccines are available for 2 of them: Hepatitis B and HPV.

Herpes is caused by the Herpes simplex virus. There are two types, and in the UK type 1, the virus that also causes cold sores, is now the most common cause of genital Herpes.

After the first infection, the virus stays in nerve cells near where you were infected and can become active again from time to time, causing an outbreak.

• The first outbreak is usually the worst. Later outbreaks tend to be milder and, over time, less frequent.
• Antiviral tablets, started within 5 days of symptoms, can stop a first outbreak getting worse. People with more than 6 outbreaks a year may benefit from taking them every day for 6 to 12 months.
• Herpes is easiest to pass on from the first tingle of an outbreak until the sores have healed, but it can also pass on when there are no symptoms.

Read more in “How long does a Herpes outbreak last?”

There’s no cure for HIV, but with treatment most people with HIV can live a long and healthy life. Treatment is daily tablets called antiretrovirals.

• If treatment brings the virus down to an undetectable level, HIV can’t be passed on through sex.
• Some people get a short flu-like illness 2 to 6 weeks after infection, then no symptoms for years, which is why many people with HIV don’t know they have it.
• PrEP, taken before sex, helps prevent HIV. PEP, emergency HIV medicine, needs to be started as soon as possible and within 72 hours of a possible exposure, so get urgent medical care if you think you’ve been exposed.

Without treatment, HIV damages the immune system and can eventually cause serious illnesses. Read more in “The stages of HIV explained”

Hepatitis B is a virus that affects the liver. It spreads through blood and body fluids, including sex without a condom, shared needles and from mother to baby at birth.

Most adults clear the infection within 1 to 3 months. If it lasts longer than 6 months, it’s called chronic Hepatitis B, and there’s no known cure. How likely that is depends on age:

• about 5% or fewer of healthy adults who catch it
• 20% to 50% of children infected between the ages of 1 and 5
• 90% of babies infected around birth

Chronic Hepatitis B is usually treated with antiviral medicine and regular check-ups with a liver specialist. Without treatment, it can damage the liver (cirrhosis) and raise the risk of liver cancer.

The Hepatitis B vaccine is offered to all babies in the UK, and to adults at higher risk, such as people who change sexual partners often. UK guidance says healthy people who’ve had a full course don’t usually need a booster.

HPV is very common, and most people will get some type of it during their life. It usually causes no symptoms.

• There’s no treatment for the virus itself, but the body usually clears it within 2 years.
• Some types cause genital warts, which can be treated, although they may come back.
• Some high-risk types can cause cell changes in the cervix, which cervical screening looks for, and can lead to some cancers.

The HPV vaccine protects against the types that cause most genital warts and cervical cancers. Read more in “Can I get reinfected with HPV?”

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C can now be cured in most people with antiviral tablets taken for 8 to 12 weeks. It’s mainly spread through blood. Sexual transmission is less common, and you can catch it again after treatment. There’s no vaccine.

Mpox

Mpox is usually mild and gets better within a few weeks without treatment. A vaccine is offered to people at higher risk, mainly some men who have sex with men.

You can lower your risk of catching an STI that can’t be cured:

• Use condoms for vaginal and anal sex, and a condom or dental dam for oral sex. They don’t cover all the skin, so they lower but don’t remove the risk of Herpes and HPV.
• Don’t share sex toys, or wash them and cover them with a new condom before anyone else uses them.
• Get vaccinated against Hepatitis B and HPV if you’re eligible.
• Ask about PrEP if you’re at higher risk of HIV.
• Test regularly: UK guidelines suggest at least once a year and after a change of partner, or every 3 months if you’re at higher risk.

Better2Know offers:

• Platinum Screen: tests for 12 infections, including HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Herpes 1 and Herpes 2, from 28 days after sex, with results in 3 days. You can book it at one of our clinics or order a home test kit.
• Full Screen: tests for 7 infections, including HIV, Hepatitis B, Syphilis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, from 28 days after sex, with results in 3 days (5 days for the home test).
• Blemish Screen: if you have a sore, blister or lump on or around your genitals, it tests a swab for Herpes 1, Herpes 2, HPV and Syphilis, with results in 5 days.
• HPV home test: a vaginal swab you take at home that checks for 14 high-risk types of HPV, with results in 3 days.

If you test before 45 days, a negative HIV result needs a repeat test. A Syphilis test in the first 3 months after sex can miss the infection, so you may need a repeat test. Not sure which test you need? Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Can you live a normal life with an STI that can’t be cured?

Yes. Most people with Herpes, HIV, chronic Hepatitis B or HPV live full, healthy lives with the right treatment and check-ups, and can still have relationships and sex.

Can antibiotics treat Herpes or HIV?

No. Antibiotics don’t work on viruses. Herpes, HIV and Hepatitis B are treated with antiviral medicines, and for HPV, the problems it causes, such as warts, are treated instead.

Can Hepatitis B go away on its own?

In most adults, yes. It usually clears within 1 to 3 months. It’s more likely to become long-term in babies and young children.

Herpes, HIV, chronic Hepatitis B and HPV can’t be cured, but all of them can be treated or managed, and vaccines can prevent Hepatitis B and HPV. Most people with these infections live full, healthy lives. Because many STIs cause no symptoms, regular testing is the best way to find an infection early.

Book a Platinum Screen at a clinic near you or order a home test kit. Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Not in the UK? Choose your country from the selector at the top of the page for local tests and prices.

This article originally appeared on 4 October 2024 and was last updated on 1 October 2026.

Medical review. This article was medically reviewed by Dr Steve Chapman, Doctor with a wealth of clinical experience in the field of STIs, on 3 December 2024. It is general information and not a substitute for personal medical advice.

Sources

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12. NHS, Human papillomavirus (HPV), reviewed 10 March 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/human-papilloma-virus-hpv/
13. NHS, Genital warts, reviewed 10 July 2023. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/genital-warts/
14. NHS, Hepatitis C, reviewed 19 March 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hepatitis-c/
15. NHS, Mpox, reviewed 9 April 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/mpox/
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