Sex machines

Let's take a moment to clear up some of the popular myths about sexually transmitted infections and diseases. In this article, we'll explore five of the most common misconceptions.

Myth: If you only have oral sex, you don't need to worry about getting an STD. A lot of people don't think of oral sex as "intercourse," so they don't seem to be particularly protective when it comes to oral sex. The problem with this line of thinking, however, is that several sexually transmitted infections can be transmitted through oral sex, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, and human papillomavirus. Oral sex is not a risk-free activity, so if you are performing oral sex, communicate with your partner about their health, consider all available protective measures (e.g., condoms, dental barriers), and ask your doctor if they test for oral infections (e.g., throat swabs for chlamydia and gonorrhea).

Myth: You can tell if a person has an STI just by looking at them or their genitals. A person with an STI may appear perfectly healthy and have no symptoms. However, that doesn't mean they can't infect you. While the risk of infection is usually higher when symptomatic, many STIs can still be transmitted without symptoms, which is why a healthy appearance is not a reliable substitute for communication, protection and testing.

Myth 3: You can't have the same STD twice. Just because you have an STD doesn't mean it can be prevented. Curing an STI like gonorrhea, chlamydia or syphilis doesn't make you immune -- in fact, many people have the same STI multiple times, sometimes from the same partner. For example, if you are treated for STDS but your partner is not, they could infect you later. That's why it's so important that you and either of your partners get tested and treated if one of you is diagnosed with an STI. I also want to mention that there is no cure for a viral sexually transmitted infection, and there can be many strains of the infection. For example, you may have more than one herpes or human papillomavirus infection.

Myth: If you use condoms, you don't need to worry about STDS. While condoms are one of the best tools we have to prevent stis, using them all the time is no guarantee that you won't get an STI. For one thing, herpes and human papillomavirus sometimes show up on body parts that aren't covered by condoms, meaning they can still be spread during protected sex. On the other hand, people will make many mistakes when using condoms, which damages their protection interests. In fact, some studies have found that as many as 51 percent of participants report that they sometimes wait until sex begins before putting on a condom, and 45 percent say they sometimes take it off before sex. Many people also reported wearing the wrong condoms and not checking the packaging and expiry date. These and other use errors increase the likelihood of condom failure and the spread of disease.

Myth # 5: Only "sluts" get STDS. Many people think they are not at risk of stis simply because they don't have "that many" sexual partners, or because they are monogamous. The reality is, you only need one partner to get STDS. It can happen the first time they have sex, and it can happen in monogamous couples as well (because cheating happens so often, when people cheat, they don't usually use protection). At the same time, many people who have multiple sexual partners have never contracted a sexually transmitted disease.

To sum up, the existence of stis is not a reason to avoid or have an innate fear of sex. Everything we do in our lives is risky, from the foods we eat to the substances we consume to the activities we engage in, so sex isn't the only behavior associated with health risks. However, the good news about STIs is that we have very effective tools to prevent them. In addition, many STIs are curable (e.g., syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia), and we now have some good tools for managing incurable diseases.

It's important to understand these risks so you can take appropriate steps to mitigate them, while still enjoying a positive, healthy and enjoyable sex life and reaping all the great benefits associated with sex, from reduced stress to intimacy to improved mood.

Sex is good for us in every way (learn more about this study here), so it's important not to let your fear of risk stop you from achieving many rewards. Use protection through good communication (e.g., condoms, dental pads, PrEP, HPV vaccine, etc.). And regularly screened for stis, you can take control of your sexual health in a way that minimizes risk and maximizes reward.

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