More STD Information

How STDs Are Spread

Most often, STDs are spread by having vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has an STD.

• Sharing body fluids like blood, semen, or vaginal fluids, among others.
• Touching or rubbing infected body parts.
• Sharing needles or using needles that have not been cleaned with bleach.

Common Symptoms of STDs

Here are some common signs and symptoms of STDs that men and women may notice.

• Burning or pain while urinating (peeing).
• Any discharge from the opening of the penis.
• A change in a woman’s normal vaginal discharge or smell.
• Sores, blisters, rashes, bumps, swelling, or growths around the penis, vagina, or anus.
• Itching, burning, or pain around the penis, vagina or anus.
• Pain during sex.
• Pain in the lower abdomen.

Preventing STDs

The surest way not to get an STD is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. When people choose to have sex, there are ways they can help protect themselves.

Some methods of birth control can help prevent STDs, like abstinence and condoms.

Do’s

• Use a condom every time you have sex.
  • Condoms made from latex rubber or a soft plastic called polyurethane help protect you from many STDs. Be aware that condoms made from lambskin do not protect against STDs.
  • If you have oral sex, use condoms or dental dams. Dental dams are square pieces of latex rubber that are used to cover the area around the vagina or anus during oral sex.
• Use a condom even if you use other types of birth control.
  • The only birth control methods that help protect you from STDs are the male condom and the female condom.

Don'ts

• Don’t have sex while you or your partner is drinking alcohol or using drugs.
• Don’t share needles from injection drugs, body piercing or tattoos. And don’t have sex with someone who shares needles.
• Don’t have sex with someone who has signs of an STD. And don’t touch the sores of someone who has signs of an STD.
• Don’t have sex if it isn’t right for you.

How do you know if you or your partner has an STD?

Sometimes STDs have signs that people can see or feel. But sometimes they don’t. That means that someone can have an STD without knowing it. Even when people have no signs, the STD can harm them and they can still pass the STD to another person.

The best way to know for sure if you have an STD is to have a physical exam and tests. Each STD has its own test.

Getting Tested

The sooner an STD is found, the better. You should get checked if:

• You have any signs or symptoms.
• A sex partner has any of these signs.
• You had sex with a new partner and didn’t use a condom.
• You think your partner is having sex with another person.

Getting Treated

If a test finds an STD or if enough signs of an STD are seen during the exam, the doctor/clinician may give you a medicine or other kinds of treatment.

Here are some things to remember:

• Make sure you understand how to take the medication correctly.
• Be sure to finish all of the medicine as directed by the doctor.
• Return to the clinic to be retested to make sure the treatment is complete.
• Talk to your partner and make sure they get treated too.