“I don’t have to worry about STDs because I’m a girl and I only have sex with girls, right?”
Wrong! STDs can be passed from woman to woman. STDs are passed by coming in contact with body fluids (like vaginal fluids or blood) or by “skin to skin contact.” This means touching a person’s genitals (a woman’s genitals are her vagina and the area around the vagina) and then touching yourself or rubbing your bodies together without clothes. Some of the most common STDs are passed through oral sex and by skin-to-skin contact.
STDs are very common among teenagers. But, you can’t tell if someone has an STD by looking at them. Some STDs have symptoms (like bumps, sores, pain while peeing or abnormal discharge) but some don’t have any symptoms or if they do, they may difficult to see or feel. Many teens don’t know they have an STD until they have a test.
Here are some ways to lower your chances of getting or giving an STD:
- Get tested for STDs! If you and your partner both know what you’re dealing with, it’s easier to protect yourselves and each other. You can get tested and treatment for STDs at a clinic near you.
- Talk with your partner about blisters, bumps or sores either of you have or have had in the past on your mouth or on or near your genitals. If you see any blisters, bumps or sores, avoid touching them or having any kind of sex until you talk with a doctor about them.
- Use a barrier method like a dental dam for oral sex or oral-anal contact (sometimes called “rimming”).
- If using sex toys, put a condom on the sex toy (a new condom for each partner) so that you don’t come in contact with each other’s body fluids (like vaginal fluids or blood).