Most STIs are completely curable if found early and treated properly. Only THREE are NOT completely curable: hepatitis-B, genital herpes, and HIV/AIDS. Memory hook: "H-H-H stays" (Hepatitis-B, Herpes, HIV) — these three stay with you; the rest go away with treatment.
Most common STIs are curable if detected early and treated properly; only the three "H" STIs — hepatitis-B, genital herpes and HIV/AIDS — are not completely curable (NCERT, Reproductive Health, p.47).
Your doubts, answered
Which STIs are NOT completely curable?
Only three: hepatitis-B, genital herpes, and HIV infection (which leads to AIDS). NCERT says: 'Except for hepatitis-B, genital herpes and HIV infections, other diseases are completely curable if detected early and treated properly.' Remember them as the three H's — Hepatitis-B, Herpes, HIV.
Which STIs ARE curable?
Gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydiasis, genital warts and trichomoniasis are completely curable if detected early and treated properly. Most of these are caused by bacteria or protozoa, so medicines can clear them fully.
Why are some STIs curable but others are not?
NCERT does not ask you to reason it out, but the pattern is easy to see: the three incurable ones (hepatitis-B, genital herpes, HIV) are all viral. Viruses are hard to fully remove from the body, so they can be controlled but not cured completely. Most curable STIs are bacterial or protozoal.
Is genital warts curable? It is caused by a virus too.
Yes. Even though genital warts is caused by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), NCERT still counts it among the curable STIs. So do not assume 'all viral = incurable'. For NEET, simply memorise the NCERT exception list: only hepatitis-B, genital herpes and HIV are the exceptions. Genital warts is curable.
What happens if a curable STI is not treated in time?
If detected early it is curable, but if ignored it can cause serious complications: pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), abortions, still births, ectopic pregnancies, infertility, or even cancer of the reproductive tract. So 'curable' depends on early detection and proper treatment.
⚠️ The NEET trap ✗ Genital warts is caused by a virus, so it must be one of the incurable STIs. ✓ Genital warts (HPV) is CURABLE in the NCERT list. The only three incurable exceptions are hepatitis-B, genital herpes and HIV — nothing else, even if it is viral. 🧠 NEET tests the exact NCERT exception list, not your own virus logic. Only 3 stay: Hepatitis-B, Herpes, HIV.
Real NEET questions
NEET 2019
Which of the following sexually transmitted diseases is not completely curable?
A · Gonorrhoea
B · Genital warts
C · Genital herpes ✓
D · Chlamydiasis
Solution: NCERT states that except for hepatitis-B, genital herpes and HIV infections, the other STIs are completely curable if detected early and treated properly. So genital herpes is NOT completely curable, while gonorrhoea, genital warts and chlamydiasis are curable.
NEET 2023 (Phase 1)
Which of the following common sexually transmitted diseases is completely curable when detected early and treated properly?
A · Genital herpes
B · Gonorrhoea ✓
C · Hepatitis-B
D · HIV Infection
Solution: Gonorrhoea is completely curable. Genital herpes, hepatitis-B and HIV infection are the three NCERT exceptions that are not completely curable.
NEET 2023 (Phase 2)
Which of the following sexually transmitted infections are completely curable?
A · Hepatitis-B and Genital herpes
B · Genital herpes and Genital warts
C · HIV infection and Trichomoniasis
D · Syphilis and Trichomoniasis ✓
Solution: Syphilis and trichomoniasis both fall in the curable group. Every other option contains at least one of the three incurable STIs (hepatitis-B, genital herpes or HIV), so option D is correct.
Solved Reproductive Health NEET PYQs
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
How many STIs are not completely curable according to NCERT?
Exactly three: hepatitis-B, genital herpes and HIV infection.
Is syphilis curable?
Yes, syphilis is completely curable if detected early and treated properly. It is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum.
Does curable mean it is harmless?
No. Even curable STIs can cause PID, infertility, ectopic pregnancy or reproductive-tract cancer if not treated early. Early detection is the key word.
What is the fastest way to remember the incurable STIs for NEET?
Use the three H's: Hepatitis-B, Herpes (genital), HIV. All three are viral and only controllable, not fully curable.
