Transmitting STDs (Sexually Transmitted Diseases)

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) are infectious diseases that spread from person to person through intimate contact. Some people may consider having an STD as just an embarrassment, but the fact is that STDs can also be serious health problems with some causing permanent damage (such as infertility) and even death (like with HIV/AIDS). So what do you need to know about STD transmission to keep yourself safe? Read on…

 

Chances of transmitting STDs will increase when:

·         You become sexually active at young ages. The younger a person starts having sex, the greater his/her chances are of becoming infected. 

·         You have a lot of sex partners. People who have sexual contact – not just intercourse, but any form of intimate activity – with many different partners are more at risk than those who stay with the same partner. 

·         You have unprotected sex. Latex condoms are the only form of birth control that can reduce your risk of getting an STD. Methods like the pill only work to help prevent unwanted pregnancies. 

·         Alcohol and/or drug use is involved. People often forget about the importance of safer sex and participate in more high-risk sex behaviors when intoxicated or high.

 

Infections are basically passed along in three ways:

Vaginal or anal intercourse without a condom is a high-risk activity for passing on:

·         Chancroid

·         Chlamydia

·         Cytomegaloyirus (CMV)

·         Genital warts

·         Gonorrhea

·         Hepatitis B

·         Herpes

·         Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

·         Human papilloma virus (HPV)

·         Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)

·         Pubic lice

·         Scabies

·         Syphilis

·         trichomoniasis

Oral sex without a condom is a high risk activity for passing on:

·         CMV

·         Gonorrhea

·         Hepatitis B

·         Herpes

·         Syphilis

Skin-to-skin contact without sexual intercourse is a risky activity for passing along:

·         CMV

·         Herpes

·         HPV

·         Pubic lice

·         Scabies

 

Preventing STD transmission:

According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control) the most reliable ways to avoid becoming infected with or transmitting an STD are:

·         Abstain from all types of sexual contact, including oral, vaginal and anal sex.

·         Be in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner.

Before you become sexually active:

·         Think about whether you are truly ready to handle the risks and responsibilities that come with being sexually active.

·         Talk with your partner about each other’s sexual histories and how to best stay safe with one another. 

·         All partners should get tested for HIV and other STDs before engaging in oral, vaginal, or anal sex.

·         Be honest with your doctor about your intentions to have sex so you can get the education you need about protecting yourself from STDs. Your doctor is not there to judge, but to be helpful to you – and he/she can only be truly helpful when they know the truth.

Once you are sexually active, it is advised that you do the following:

·         Always practice safer sex!

·         Get regular gynecological and male genital examinations to continue to receive education about STDs and to have more opportunities for doctors to discover any signs of STDs while they are still in their earlier stages and are generally easier to treat. 

·         Be honest with your doctor about sexual behaviors you have already participated in. Again, your doctor is not there to judge, but to be helpful to you – and he/she can only be truly helpful when they know the truth.

·         Get regular check-ups for STDs (even if you show no symptoms), and be familiar with the common symptoms

·         If you think you have an STD, or have a partner who you believe may have an STD, see a doctor right away. The faster an STD is diagnosed and treated, the less damage will be done. If you don’t want to see your family doctor, go to an adolescent medicine clinic or local clinic where you can receive exams and treatments confidentially. You can call the National STD hotline at 1-800-227-8922 for more information. 

 

If you decide to be sexually active with a partner whose infection status is unknown:

·         Understand the risk you are taking in being sexually active with someone whose STD status you do not know. 

·         Ask your partner if he/she has an STD, has ever been exposed to one, or has any unexplained physical symptoms. Know that your partner may or may not be honest in answering these questions. 

·         Do not have unprotected sex if your partner has any signs or symptoms of an STD, such as sores, rashes, or discharge from the genital area. Remember that correct and consistent use of latex condoms can reduce the risk of transmission only when the infected area or site of potential exposure is protected. 

·         If you choose to have sex, always use a new condom for each act of oral, vaginal, and anal sex. Condoms, when used correctly and consistently, can reduce the risk of transmission of various STDs such as Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis. 

 

If your partner tells you that he/she has an STD, speak with a medical care professional to get the education you need about that STD, including treatment options, risks of transmission and how to keep yourself protected. 

 

No-risk, low-risk, and high-risk sexual behaviors:

No-risk:

·         Masturbation

·         Mutual masturbation

·         Phone sex (with people you know and are in a relationship with – not some random off the internet or you will potentially have another set of problems to deal with!)

·         Sharing fantasies

Low-risk:

·         Kissing

·         Fondling – manual stimulation of one another

·         Body-to-body rubbing

·         Oral sex (even safer with a condom or dental dam)

·         Playing with sex toys – alone or with a partner

High-risk:

·         Vaginal intercourse

·         Anal intercourse

 

What to remember when it comes to the transmission of STDs:

·         Many STDs have no symptoms, but can still be transmitted to a sexual partner.

·         If your partner has had a sexual relationship with someone else recently, he or she may have an STD even if there are no signs or symptoms.

·         It is not enough for you to just know that you are STD – you need to think of your partner’s status as well.

·         Oral, anal, and vaginal sex all carry risks of STD transmission. Viruses and bacteria that can cause STDs can enter the body through tiny cuts in the mouth and anus, as well as the genitals. 

·         Although condoms are highly effective for reducing transmission of STDs, no method is foolproof. This is especially true for certain STDs, such as genital warts and herpes which can be spread with any kind of skin-to-skin contact with an infected sore.  

·         STDs do not discriminate – race, religion, gender, socioeconomic class, first time with sex or 20th time with sex, athletes, theater buffs – it doesn’t matter. If you have sexual contact (especially if you don’t practice safer sex), you run the risk of transmitting an STD.

 

A thought on monogamous relationships:

While a long-term, monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner is one of the best ways to protect yourself from the transmission of STDs in theory, there are a few considerations with this:

1.      The first consideration is that some people will not know they have an STD because they may have no signs or symptoms of one – but they still could be carrying an STD with the potential to pass it on. 

2.      The second consideration is that some people will not be honest about their sexual and medical histories. Some people will not want to be honest about the number of people they have been sexually active – they may be embarrassed by the number or worry their new partner will judge them about it. And some people are not faithful in their relationships. They may say they will be faithful, but it is a fact that some people cheat. If you are having unprotected sex with someone who you think is being faithful, but who is having ongoing affairs or even just a one-night stand, you will be unknowingly at risk. 

An interesting stat from Planned Parenthood: 1 out of 3 people will say they don’t have an infection when they know they do just so they can have sex. 

 

What to use and how to use it:

Condoms:

To learn more about how to properly use condoms, read our answer to Using Condoms Correctly.

Properly using lubricants can make sex more pleasurable, but it is also important in safer sex as it makes condoms slippery and subsequently less likely to break. Remember to only use water or silicone-based lube with latex and non-latex rubber condoms. Always read the package directions prior to use.

Dental dams:

Dental dams are small, thin, square pieces of latex used to protect the throat during certain kinds of dental work. They can also be placed on the vulva or anus when the mouth, lips, or tongue are used to sexually arouse a partner. Like a condom, the dental dam keeps body fluids from passing between partners. Dental dams can also prevent skin-to-skin contact. The Sheer Glyde dam has been approved by the FDA especially for safer sex, and is available online, in some drugstores and at many Planned Parenthood health centers. If you do not have access to dental dams, you can use plastic wrap or cut open a condom and use that. 

Sex toys:

Sex toys, whether used alone or with a partner, require special care. When used alone they need to be properly cleaned to ensure they do not build up bacteria, which could then cause an infection. When shared between partners they need to be specially cleaned as sex toys can pass along sexually transmitted diseases. 

The best way to keep sex toys clean and safe is to protect them with a latex condom. The condom should be changed whenever the toy is passed from partner to partner or from one body opening to another (i.e., between the mouth, anus, or vagina).

Clean sex toys before and after use based on the cleaning instructions on the package. Different sex toys are made of different materials – so the package will have the most appropriate cleaning methods for that particular sex toy. 

 

Do you need to get tested for STDs?

Use the check by Planned Parenthood – a quiz to see if you need to get tested for any STDs. 

 

How do doctors test for STDs?

·         Physical exam: Your doctor may look at your genitals and anus for any signs of an infection, such as a rash, discharge, sores, or warts. 

·         Blood sample

·         Urine sample

·         Discharge tissue, cell, or saliva sample: A swab may be used to collect samples that will then be viewed under a microscope.

Some diagnoses can be made right away based on your symptoms and the physical exam. If samples need to be tested at a lab, results may not be returned for days or weeks.

 

Is it always an STD?

Not all infections of the genitals are related to STDs. If you have concerns about symptoms in your genital area, speak with your doctor. He/she will not automatically assume you are sexually active as symptoms very similar to those of STDs could be related to something else entirely. In girls, symptoms similar to STDs could be a yeast infection. In boys, bumps on the penis that could be confused with STD symptoms could simply be pimples or irritated hair follicles.  

The lesson – if you have any concerning symptoms, speak to your doctor so that you can find out what exactly is going on and what treatment you need. If you have not been sexually active, do not worry that by presenting to your doctor with symptoms in your genital area that your doctor will not believe your sexual status and will automatically assume you have an STD. 

 

Talking to your partner about STDs:

TeensHealth website has a webpage, Talking to Your Partner About STDs and Telling Your Partner You Have an STD.

 

Talk to with your doctor to get the education you need, and any necessary testing or treatments:

If you have any questions about STDs or concerns that you or your partner may be infected with an STD, speak to a medical health professional right away.

If you don't have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-6475 for an appointment or contact your local teen health center or Planned Parenthood. You can also contact your insurance company for a list of in-network providers.