Herpes and HIV:
These are the only two viral STIs which are always chronic. Even though people with herpes or HIV cannot currently be cured, their symptoms can be treated.

HPV:
In females, 70-90% of HPV infections are cleared by the body's immune system within 12-24 months of detection.^1-2 Those who are infected with high-risk (cancer-causing) HPV types and do not clear their infection quickly are at risk for persistent infection. There is no cure for persistent HPV. Persistent HPV infection is a risk factor for development of cervical cancer. All women should have routine pap smears by age 21. Females who initiate sex before 18 should begin to receive routine pap smears about 3 years after first sexual intercourse.³

Hepatitis B:
Most adults who are infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) recover from their infections; the rest develop chronic infections.⁴

Hepatitis C:
Approximately 15% of those who are infected with hepatitis C virus (HBV) recover from their infection; however the vast majority develops chronic infections.⁵

Reviewed by: Jennifer A. Shuford, MD, MPH
Date: October 2008

References:
1. Moscicki, A. Cervical cytology screening in teens. Curr Womens Health Rep. 2003;3(6):433-437.
2. Ho GY, Bieman R, Beardsley I., et al. National history of cervicovaginal papillomavirus in young women. N Engl J Med. 1998;338(7):423-428.
3. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Clinical Management Guidelines for Obstetrician-Gynecologists: Cervical cytology screening. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 45; August 2003.
4. Lemon SM, Lok A, Alter MJ. Viral Hepatitis, In: Holmes KK, et al. Sexually Transmitted Diseases. 4th ed. New York, NY: McGraw Hill; 2008:509-543.
5. Watts DH. Hepatitis C, D, and E in pregnancy. In: Mead PB, Hager WD, Faro S, eds. Protocols for Infectious Diseases in Obstetrics and Gyneclogy. 2nd ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell Science; 2000:215-224.