How STDs are contracted and how to protect yourself

Having vaginal and anal sex without a condom makes you more susceptible to get infected by different STDs.

Even oral sex that involves the mouth in a vulva, penis, or anus can also spread STDs like HPV and herpes.

These infections are gotten from body fluids like semen, blood and vaginal fluids. Or when your mouth or private parts rubs against the skin of a person infected.

STDs like chlamydia, herpes, gonorrhoea and HIV are quite common among young people.

Young people are likely to get infected because of increased sexual activity with strangers, lack of testing, lack of condoms, multiple sexual partners and generally being embarrassed about talking about it.

Leaving some STDs untreated can lead to more serious health problems like pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility issues in women.

If you want to be protected from STDs completely, then you need to abstain from sex.

However, if you cannot abstain from sex, safe sex is the way to go.

Condoms, dental dams, female or internal condoms

Safe sex involves using condoms, dental dams and female or internal condoms.

Condoms are latex substances worn over the penis to prevent contact with the vagina. Internal condoms are made for women, they wear them inside their vulva.

Dental dams are tiny pieces of latex worn over the mouth during oral sex.

All of these things prevent sexual fluids from touching the other person and skin-to-skin contact either during oral, anal or vagina sex.

Talk to your old and new partners about having protected sex. Most people, especially women do not speak to their partners about using condoms, or getting tested before sex.

Getting tested and having one sexual partner

If you engage in sexual activities with multiple people, you do not need to deceive yourself and pretend you have one sexual partner. You will be putting other people at risk if you do not get tested.

If you engage in sexual activities that do not require the engagement of body fluids like dry humping and cuddling, you are less at risk.

Finally, if someone cares and loves you, they will want you to be safe and not contract STD so, do not be shy to speak up about your sexual health.