Young people between the ages of 15-24 have a higher chance of getting an STD than anyone else. But information is power! Read on for the most common questions teens ask us about STDs here at Planned Parenthood.
What’s the most common STD for teens?
The most common STDs for teens — and adults — are HPV and chlamydia. Gonorrhea and syphilis are very common as well. Most people get an STD at some point in their life; be safer out there and use barrier methods like condoms and dental dams to help protect yourself and your partners.
If both people have never had sex, can they still get an STD?
It depends. Sexually transmitted infections can be spread during many kinds of sexual activity — like oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex, and skin-to-skin genital touching (AKA dry humping without clothes). Some infections are spread through body fluids like semen, vaginal fluids, and blood. Others can be passed when the skin of your mouth or genitals rubs against the skin of someone else’s genitals. An STD needs to be present in order for it to spread to another person.
So pretty much any type of sexual contact with another person — where there’s body fluids or genital skin touching — can put you at risk for STDs.
Can I get an STD from oral sex?
Absolutely. Oral sex (mouth on a vulva, penis, or anus) can spread certain STDs. Using condoms and dental dams for oral sex can help protect you and your partner.
Safer sex means using condoms, insertive condoms, or dental dams. These barriers help block fluids and some skin-to-skin touching that can pass STDs. You can use condoms for vaginal sex, anal sex, and oral sex on a penis. You can use insertive condoms for vaginal sex and anal sex. And you can use dental dams for oral sex on a vulva or anus.
Can I get an STD from kissing?
Although kissing is considered to be low-risk compared to intercourse and oral sex, it’s possible for kissing to transmit oral herpes and syphilis.
Can I get an STD from a toilet or from sharing clothes?
You can’t get STDs from casual contact like sharing clothes, hugging, holding hands, or toilet seats. You can only get an STD from contact with semen, vaginal fluids, blood, saliva, or skin-to-skin genital touching.
How do I know if I or someone else has an STD?
The only way to know for sure if you or someone else has an STD is to get tested. Most of the time, STDs don’t have any symptoms. So just looking at someone’s penis or vulva can’t tell you whether they have an STD. People with STDs may look and feel totally normal — but they can still give an infection to someone else.
How do I get tested and what do they do during testing?
Getting tested is as easy as walking into your nearest Planned Parenthood. You can make an appointment online ahead of time (or call 1-888-743-7526). Most STDs are tested with a urine sample, or by swabbing your mouth or genitals. An HIV test is a quick blood test.
Will my parents find out if I get tested?
No. Your STD testing and results are completely confidential. They are your own private information.
Are STDs curable?
Most STDs are curable, and all of them are treatable and can be managed. Most STDs can be treated with antibiotics.
What are some symptoms of an STD?
Most of the time, STDs don’t have any symptoms. But they sometimes do cause problems that you might notice. Get tested for STDs if you have any of these symptoms in or near your genitals:
- pain
- swelling
- weird bumps, sores, or rashes
- itching and/or burning
- Pain or burning when you pee
- discharge from your penis
- vaginal discharge that has a different smell, color, or texture
- bleeding from your genitals (that isn’t your period)
These symptoms don’t always mean you have an STD. Other health problems can cause similar symptoms. For example, burning while you pee could be a UTI. Weird discharge might be a yeast infection. The only way to know for sure what’s going on is to visit your doctor or a Planned Parenthood health center.
If you need more information or have other questions, any one of our Planned Parenthood staff would be happy to help you.
Be safe out there — and use those barrier methods!
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