What’s the difference between an STD and an STI?

What’s the difference between an STD and an STI?

STD means sexually transmitted disease while STI means sexually transmitted infection. STI is a bit more inclusive, so it a little more clearly reflects all the things one should worry about sexually transmitting.

Recommendations: Two books about STDs and one book about safer sex.

Should we get tested for STDs before we stop using condoms?

I have been in a monogamous relationship for three months, and recently went on birth control pills. I have had one (protected) partner in the past, and my partner was a virgin before our relationship. Is it safe for us to stop using condoms? Do we need to get tested for STDs first?

It sounds like it’s unlikely that either of you has an STI, which would make it okay for you to stop using condoms if you’re comfortable with how effective birth control pills alone are and you trust your partner to continue being monogamous.

It wouldn’t be a terrible idea for you to get tested, though. It’s possible that you could have gotten an STI from your previous partner despite using protection. Non-penetrative skin to skin contact, a broken condom, and contact with bodily fluids can all sometimes be enough to contract an STI.

It might also be a good idea to make sure that your current partner’s definition of “virginity” means that they have not participated in any risky activities. Anal sex is not always counted toward virginity but can certainly spread STIs. Performing oral sex on a male can also pose some risk.

Recommendations: A general book about STDs, some condoms to keep using until you get tested, and another book about STDs.

Will there be a cure or vaccine for herpes soon?

I have heard that there will be a cure or vaccine for herpes on the market in 2009 or 2010. Will this ever be a reality?

It looks unlikely that there will be a vaccine on the market anytime soon. A number of HSV-II (genital herpes) vaccines have been developed and tested recently. The most effective of these prevented HSV-II sores in 72 percent of women who were negative for both oral and genital herpes, but had no effect on men and did not help women who were already infected with either strain of herpes. Many of the other trials were almost completely ineffective.

Viruses by themselves aren’t “alive”, and must use the cells of another organism to reproduce and spread. Because of this, drugs cannot be developed to kill viruses the same way drugs can be used to kill invading bacteria. Antiviral drugs are used to slow a virus from spreading, but cannot eliminate it. The only real way to “cure” a virus is to prevent infection in the first place with a vaccine, so until a vaccine is developed, there cannot be a cure. There are a number of antivirals which can effectively be used to reduce the frequency of outbreaks in severe cases.

Recommendations: Two guides to STDs.

Is it possible to get an anal yeast infection?

Anal yeast infections: yes or no?

Yes, it is possible to get an anal yeast infection. No, you don’t want one. Yeast likes to live in warm, damp, dark areas. Sometimes a change in acidity from the introduction of a chemical like semen or lubricant can create a good place for yeast to breed. Introducing something sweet (like flavored lube) could also encourage yeast to multiply. If a penetrating partner has a yeast infection, it is more likely that you could get an anal yeast infection from anal sex, and sometimes vaginal sex can also introduce yeast to the anus. 

If you have an anal yeast infection, you may feel itching, pain, and inflammation. Get it checked out, and get your partner checked out too so you don’t get reinfected.

Can I get an STD from a blow job?

What is the likelihood of me getting an STD when someone gives me a blow job?

Receiving oral sex is considerably safer than unprotected vaginal or anal sex because the pathogens that cause STIs are not usually concentrated in saliva. The herpes virus which typically produces cold sores is different from the herpes virus that typically causes genital herpes, but it is possible for the oral herpes virus to live on the genitals (and vice versa), so this is probably the biggest potential concern. If you know your partner has oral herpes, you can minimize your risk of contracting it by avoiding oral sex when they have any active sores and/or using a condom. Chlamydia, HPV (warts), gonorrhea, and syphilis can all be transmitted through saliva, but it is unusual. Men can also get urethral infections from the normal bacteria in the mouth, though that’s not really an STI.

The person giving the blow job is at higher risk for contracting an STI, so it’s important for you to get yourself tested regularly if you’ve been sexually active with other partners.

If you’re unsure of your partner’s history, it’s always a good idea to use a condom. There are lots of flavored condoms and lubricants on the market to make the experience more pleasant for your partner.

Recommendations: A guide to STDs (why you want condoms during a blow job), condoms, and a guide to keeping safer sex hot (even while you’re using those condoms).

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.

Are herpes blood tests reliable?

You stated in a response that herpes blood tests (not taken from open sores) are not necessarily reliable. Could you elaborate on this?

Herpes blood tests look for antibodies to the virus rather than the virus itself. False positives are unusual, so if you’ve got a positive result, it’s very likely that you’ve contracted herpes, though you may never have an outbreak. False negatives are more common, occurring in about 15 percent of all people who are tested for herpes. This is because it takes time for your immune system to produce antibodies to the virus, especially if you do not have an active infection (sores). There must be a sufficient quantity of antibodies for the test to be positive, and if the virus is not attacking your cells, you may not produce antibodies against it. All tests recommend waiting 3-4 months after a possible exposure to be tested. After 4 months, the false positive rate has dropped to about 3 percent. The problem is that in those 4 months, it is possible to infect people, and 3 percent is low, but still a substantial number.

Recommendations: Two books about STDs.

What kinds of STD tests are done?

What kinds of STD tests are done?

You can get screened if you’re having symptoms that make you think you might have an STI or if you don’t have any symptoms but want to make sure you’re STI free. College health services offices can often screen for STIs, along with Planned Parenthood clinics and many doctors’ offices. Screenings are a good idea whenever you have a new partner because it is possible to be infected with STIs and not have any symptoms.

Common things to get tested for are HPV (the virus that causes genital warts), syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, hepatitis, trichomoniasis, and HIV. It is also possible to test for herpes, but that test is not very accurate unless you have an active sore that can be swabbed.

Scabies and body lice are sexually transmissible, but produce itching and, in the case of scabies, a rash, so screening for them if you don’t have symptoms is generally unnecessary. Other STIs may be tested for if you have symptoms that don’t seem to be caused by something more common.

Blood tests, urine tests, and genital swabs are used to detect various STIs.

Recommendations: Two general books about STDs.