This article looks at eight different strategies for lowering your risk of getting an STI.
If you’re being treated for an STI, wait until you’re done with treatment before resuming sexual activity. If you don’t, you and your partner could end up passing an infection back and forth.
It is important to note that STI testing is not 100% accurate. False positives and false negatives can occur.
If you have herpes, the virus can lay dormant and undetected for years before a flare-up occurs. If you or your partner is diagnosed with herpes despite long-term monogamy, this could be why.
Use an external condom, internal condom, or dental dam whenever you engage in intimate contact. This includes vaginal and anal sex as well as oral sex. Barriers are not 100% protective against all STIs. They will greatly reduce your risk, however.
Practicing safer sex is only effective if you do it every time you have an encounter. Take responsibility for your sexual health and bring your own safer sex supplies.
Making a decision ahead of time can help you know where to draw the line. Still, it is also important to be prepared with external or internal condoms in case you change your mind.
It is also important to be comfortable talking to your partner about if you are exclusive and what monogamy means to you.
Sharing this information with your partner will help make your sex life safer and could also help further define your relationship.
The hepatitis A vaccine series consists of two shots given six months apart. The hepatitis B vaccine is usually given in three shots. The second and third shots are given one and six months after the first, respectively.
The HPV vaccine protects against nine strains of HPV, including types 16 and 18. These types cause about 70% of cervical cancers.
The vaccine is recommended for all children ages 11 to 12 years. It can be administered between the ages of 9 and 45, however.
You can also reduce your risk of an STI by getting tested and asking your partner to get tested before you begin a sexual relationship. Staying monogamous, setting limits, and avoiding drugs and alcohol before sex can also help keep you safe. The STIs hepatitis B and HPV can also be prevented with vaccination.
You can, however, visit a healthcare provider for testing and any necessary treatment. This is important even if you don’t have symptoms. Early treatment can prevent potentially dangerous complications and stop you from passing the infection along to someone else.
