Information About STIs – HealthyWomen

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

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

Misinformation is rather a lot like an STI — you could cross it on to another person and never even realize it.

Myths and assumptions about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) have been round eternally. Earlier than the web, you most likely heard one thing questionable about STIs out of your finest pal, who heard it from a cousin, who knew somebody who stated you possibly can’t get an STI the primary time you could have intercourse.

Whereas it’s true that you simply can discover respected, fact-based data on-line about STIs, it’s not all the time simple to inform reality 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.

Learn: 6 STIs You Must Know About >>

1. “You may’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 chunk of plastic that goes over the vagina or anus) and condoms may help cut back the chance for STIs throughout oral intercourse.

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

This can be a onerous no. Douching after intercourse can’t defend you from STIs. Actually, 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 beneficial for anybody — ever.

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

You’ve most likely heard this gem on social media, however it’s extremely unlikely for anybody to get chlamydia from a bench on the health club or anyplace (except possibly you’re getting busy along with your coach on that bench.) For one, chlamydia is a bacterial an infection and the organisms can’t dwell exterior the physique for lengthy — particularly on onerous surfaces like a bench. And chlamydia impacts mucosal surfaces — the inside lining of the vagina, rectum and mouth — by means of intercourse. So, it will be extraordinarily troublesome 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 bathroom seat can be very, not possible. It is because STIs are handed from individual to individual throughout intercourse or by means of intimate skin-to-skin contact. Even when a STI was hanging out on a bathroom 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 may’t get an STI in the event you’re pregnant.”

You may get an STI in the event you’re pregnant. And a few STIs comparable to syphilis, HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B and genital herpes might be handed on to the infant throughout being pregnant or childbirth.

This is the reason it’s essential to get screened for STIs earlier than getting pregnant or early in being pregnant to deal with or handle any infections.

Learn: FAQs About HIV and Being pregnant >>

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

Double the condoms aren’t double the enjoyable. If you layer one condom over the opposite, the supplies rub collectively and that really makes them weaker and extra prone to break or tear.

7. “STIs solely occur to younger folks.”

Anybody who has intercourse — no matter age — is in danger for STIs. Actually, the charges of prognosis have been on the rise for folks ages 35 and older. You may cut back the chance for STIs through the use of a condom and/or dental dam each time you could have intercourse. It’s additionally a good suggestion for you and your associate to get examined earlier than you do the horizontal mambo.