Facts About STIs – HealthyWomen

Medically reviewed by Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., FACOG, NCMP

April 13-19, 2025, is STI Awareness Week.

Misinformation is lots like an STI — it’s possible you’ll move it on to another person and never even comprehend it.

Myths and assumptions about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been round without end. Earlier than the web, you in all probability heard one thing questionable about STIs out of your greatest good friend, who heard it from a cousin, who knew somebody who mentioned you may’t get an STI the primary time you might have intercourse.

Whereas it’s true that you simply can discover respected, fact-based info on-line about STIs, it’s not at all times simple to inform truth from fiction, or whether or not a viral submit about bathroom seats is true (extra on that later).

In an effort to unfold the phrase — not misinformation — right here’s the reality behind 7 of the most typical myths about STIs.

Read: 6 STIs You Need to Know About >>

1. “You possibly can’t get STIs from oral intercourse.”

(Purses lips.) You may get STIs from oral intercourse. Oral intercourse is sexual exercise similar to vaginal and anal intercourse.

The excellent news is that dental dams (a bit of plastic that goes over the vagina or anus) and condoms can assist scale back the chance for STIs throughout oral intercourse.

2. “Douching after intercourse protects you from STIs.”

This can be a laborious no. Douching after intercourse can’t defend you from STIs. In truth, douching could improve the chance for STIs as a result of it removes good micro organism together with unhealthy micro organism within the vagina, which makes you extra weak to an infection.

As a rule, douching messes with the pure steadiness of your vagina and isn’t advisable for anybody — ever.

3. “You may get chlamydia from a bench on the health club.”

You’ve in all probability heard this gem on social media, nevertheless it’s extremely unlikely for anybody to get chlamydia from a bench on the health club or wherever (until perhaps you’re getting busy together with your coach on that bench.) For one, chlamydia is a bacterial an infection and the organisms can’t stay outdoors the physique for lengthy — particularly on laborious surfaces like a bench. And chlamydia impacts mucosal surfaces — the interior lining of the vagina, rectum and mouth — by way of intercourse. So, it might be extraordinarily tough for the organism to get the place it must go with out sexual exercise.

4. “You may get an STI from a public bathroom seat.”

Getting an STI from a rest room seat can be very, most unlikely. It’s because STIs are handed from individual to individual throughout intercourse or by way of intimate skin-to-skin contact. Even when a STI was hanging out on a rest room seat, the chances that it survived lengthy sufficient and one way or the other made it into your physique is slim to none.

5. “You possibly can’t get an STI for those who’re pregnant.”

You may get an STI for those who’re pregnant. And a few STIs akin to syphilis, HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B and genital herpes may be handed on to the newborn throughout being pregnant or childbirth.

That is why it’s necessary to get screened for STIs earlier than getting pregnant or early in being pregnant to deal with or handle any infections.

Read: FAQs About HIV and Pregnancy >>

6. “Two condoms are higher than one to guard in opposition to STIs.”

Double the condoms should not double the enjoyable. Whenever you layer one condom over the opposite, the supplies rub collectively and that truly makes them weaker and extra more likely to break or tear.

7. “STIs solely occur to younger folks.”

Anybody who has intercourse — regardless of age — is in danger for STIs. In truth, the charges of analysis have been on the rise for folks ages 35 and older. You possibly can scale back the chance for STIs by utilizing a condom and/or dental dam each time you might have intercourse. It’s additionally a good suggestion for you and your companion to get examined earlier than you do the horizontal mambo.