Should we get tested for STDs before having sex?

I’ve only had sex (including oral/anal) with one person. She’d never had sex with anyone else. (I trust her completely.) She had STD tests done a few times throughout our relationship (as routine checks, not because she was worried). I have no reason to think I have, or could have, any STDs. But I’ve never been tested. I’m with someone else now. They really don’t want to get STDs, and they say they won’t have sex with me until I get tested. Does this make any sense?

Although it’s a bit of a pain for you to get tested when you’re sure that you don’t have any STIs, it does make sense that she would want to be cautious. It’s hard to trust a new partner immediately, particularly since many people lie about their sexual histories to sound more appealing, and since something that could affect one’s personal health is a serious thing to entrust to another person.

You’re also asking her to trust not only you, but to also trust your trust of another person. Even if she doesn’t doubt your honesty, she could be wise in her caution to believe in your certainty about your previous partner. People have, historically, often been completely confident of the fidelity of people who are, in fact, cheating on them.

It is commonly recommended that new couples who have been previously sexually active with other people get tested for STIs before having sex. Even when it is very unlikely that you have been infected, this is a good practice. Perhaps your new partner should be tested as well.

Recommendations: Two guides, one to STDs and one to making safer sex stay hot.