Sexually Transmitted Diseases - The Risks
Written By: Jenne

 

Knowing the possible risks involved in certain activities is the first step towards taking steps towards protecting both your sexual health and those of your partners now and in the future.



5 Smarts Steps to Reducing Your Risk

 

Get the facts: Understand what the diseases are, how you can get it and what you should do if you have it.

 

Decide to be safe: Believe that you can get an STD or HIV. You can not tell by looking at someone that they have an STD or HIV.

 

Follow Through: Choose ways to reduce or eliminate your risks. Be abstinent, be monogamous, use a condom, don't share needles, get tested!

 

Talk to your partner: Be honest, share the information you have gathered about the risks, ask whether your partner has been tested, decide together how you will be intimate with each other.

 

Be sex, safely: Try as many safe ways to be intimate without having sex. For example, massage each other, snuggle, share fantasies with each other, write love letters, give each other lots of hugs.

 

Below is a table that helps you sort out the possible risks that certain sexual activities may carry:

 

What You Can Get Via
KNOWN RISKS
POSSIBLE RISKS
UNKNOWN
Performing Oral Sex on a Man
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Hep A
Syphilis
Hep B
HIV
Hep C
Performing Oral Sex on a Woman
none
none
none
Receiving Oral Sex, Man
Chlamydia
Gonorrhea
Herpes
Syphilis
none
none
Receiving Oral Sex, Woman
Herpes
none
none
Anal Sex, Giver
Chlamydia
Crabs/Scabies
Gonorrhea
Hep B
Herpes
HIV
HPV (warts)
NGU
Syphilis
none
Hep C
Anal Sex, Receiver
Chlamydia
Crabs/Scabies
Gonorrhea
Hep B
Herpes
HIV **
HPV (warts)
Syphilis
none
Hep C
Vaginal Sex, Man
Chlamydia
Crabs/Scabies
Gonorrhea
Hep B
Herpes
HPV (warts)
NGU
Syphilis
Trichomoniasis
HIV
Hep C
Vaginal Sex, Woman
Chlamydia
Crabs/Scabies
Gonorrhea
Hep B
Herpes
HIV
HPV (warts)
Syphilis
Trichomoniasis
none
Hep C
Oral-Anal Sex
Amebiasis
Cryptosporidium
Giardia
Hep A
Shigella
none
none

 

* If receiver has just performed activity on someone else.

 

** Unprotected anal sex is an incredibly risky activity for the receiver, much more so than for the giver. The risk of HIV transmission to receiver during unprotected anal sex is 15 in 1,000 versus 3 in 10,000 from a giver to a receiver.

 

Kissing, mutual masturbation, and dry humping are considered safer sex activities, with little to no risk of STD transmission.



Using latex condoms (male or female) significantly reduces the risk of contracting STD's during anal, vaginal and oral sex.



Washing hands and the genital area thoroughly before and after oral-anal sex reduces the risk of transmission of most of the listed STD's and conditions. Condom use reduces transmission risk even further.