Yes, STDs are contagious, and understanding how they spread can help you protect yourself and anyone with whom you’re intimate. Woman to Woman Health Center offers confidential screening so you don’t have to guess.
Schedule an appointment to protect your health today.
How STDs Actually Spread
STDs pass between partners through vaginal, anal, and oral contact, not just penetrative intercourse. According to the CDC, transmission during oral sex can happen even without penetration, since infections spread through direct contact with an infected area. Transmission can happen even without ejaculation.
Can You Spread an STD Without Symptoms?
Yes. In fact, between 50% and 70% of people with chlamydia never notice symptoms, and gonorrhea can be just as quiet. A person can pass an infection to a partner while feeling completely fine, which is part of why STDs spread as widely as they do and why regular testing is so vital.
Does Protection Eliminate the Risk?
Barrier methods such as condoms reduce risk but don’t eliminate it, since skin-to-skin infections can spread from areas a barrier doesn’t cover. The most effective ways to lower that risk are abstinence or a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested.
These facts describe transmission mechanics, not judgments about anyone’s choices.
Telling a Partner
If you test positive for an STD, telling a current or recent partner can feel like the hardest part, but it gives them the chance to get tested and treated as well, rather than passing an infection back and forth without either of you knowing. This step of honesty and vulnerability is part of protecting their health, too.
Getting Tested Protects You and Your Partner
Woman to Woman Health Center offers screening and treatment for chlamydia and gonorrhea, as well as many other sexually transmitted infections, in a confidential, judgment-free setting. If you’ve had any sexual contact and aren’t sure of your status, testing is the only way to know.
Schedule Your Screening
Schedule a confidential appointment at Woman to Woman Health Center today.
Call: 972-636-4460