How to prevent STIs?

ruggedscout91 said:There have been several times when I found a man attractive enough that an affair crossed my mind.
After wrestling with the morality of it all and agonizing over how much guilt I’d carry afterward, I ultimately backed away—mostly out of a fear of STIs.
My husband and I married very young, and we were each other's first experience with everything physical.
I feel like I’d be acting quite foolishly by taking such a risk just because I find someone appealing; attraction doesn't necessarily equate to quality.
I simply don't want to spend my later years worrying about things like HPV or HIV.
What are your thoughts?
Is it better to act on it, or to refrain and spend the rest of your life wondering "what if"?

I understand you completely, as I feel the exact same way. However, you won't believe this, but I actually tested positive for HPV, even though neither of us has ever been promiscuous. Now that I'm dealing with this virus, I almost regret being so cautious and having so few partners—though I can't even say who I was saving myself for.
I discovered I had HPV entirely by chance, and I was stunned. To this day, I still can't wrap my head around it or pinpoint where I could have possibly contracted it.

casualheron3 said:There’s this lingering doubt about whether Hepatitis C can actually spread that way... unlike Hepatitis B. I’ve heard whispers of it and even skimmed a few papers, but nothing feels truly conclusive yet..
The major health organizations focusing on this are all pointing toward the idea that for Hepatitis C to transmit, there really needs to be some sort of infected blood involved—think things like a shared toothbrush or maybe even silverware.

Here is the link if you want to dig in: http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/

Personally, I suppose I’d feel a little uneasy about kissing someone if they were really dealing with Hepatitis C... though, in all honesty, the odds seem incredibly slim.

Thanks for sending over that link. I’m going to sit down and comb through it all. It makes sense, and I appreciate how much information is packed in there.

I'll be waiting to see what everyone else thinks regarding the whole possibility of transmitting hepatitis through kissing. 👍

A few months ago, my boyfriend was sexually assaulted (the attacker ejaculated inside him). He recently opened up to me about everything, which means we have been having sex together since then. I went to see my gynecologist and had a Pap smear done. I'm wondering if anyone knows whether a Pap smear can detect potential STIs that the attacker might have passed on to my boyfriend, such as HIV or something similar. Thanks!

I already sent you a private message, and I wanted to address this specific point right here too. Honestly, I’m really sorry you’re having to deal with all of this while also navigating things with your boyfriend.

Dear lonebear88, I am so incredibly sorry to hear about the nightmare your boyfriend is going through right now. 😢
I can only begin to imagine what you two are dealing with.

If I may offer a bit of perspective—that PAP test doesn't actually tell the whole story; I suppose its accuracy depends heavily on how much time has passed since the actual encounter. He really ought to get some more comprehensive testing done—specifically swabs for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, mycoplasma, ureaplasma, chlamydia, and HPV.

Just a side note: it’s entirely possible that you won't even be carrying the same bacteria, so it would probably be best if he went in for a full exam—meaning, he should definitely get those swabs done and report exactly what happened. I realize this is an incredibly awkward situation to navigate, but for the sake of his health—and to prevent any further transmission—he really should undergo a thorough screening. In the meantime, using condoms is absolutely non-negotiable.

Hang in there. 🙂

Thanks so much 🙂 I really hope everything turns out okay. With all this chaos going on, the last thing anyone needs is an STD...

🙂
I suppose I can only hope everything turns out alright in the end. What really matters—if there's any silver lining here—is that both of you conduct your due diligence and perform every single search with absolute thoroughness.

Wishing you both nothing but good health and the very best of luck!

I really need some advice here...
My mom was recently diagnosed with HPV. Is there any chance I could have caught it from her? We live in the same house and share things like the toilet, for instance. (I don't think I picked it up during birth since I was a C-section baby, though I'm not entirely sure if that matters—just a thought.) 🙂
Is it actually possible to get HPV this way?

Amanda Gonzalez66 said:I need some help here...
My mom has HPV... Is there any chance I caught it from her? We live in the same house, we share the bathroom, use the same toilet, all that stuff. (I don't think I picked it up at birth since I was a C-section baby, but I don't know if that actually matters—just putting it out there.) 🙂
Could I have actually caught HPV that way?

You’ve got one group of doctors claiming it’s entirely possible, while another group stands there swearing up and down that it isn't.
Look, if your mom didn't wash her hands properly before touching something, and then you touched that same surface and passed it onto your own system... yeah, it’s technically possible. But honestly? Don't let it get under your skin. Most people walking around the US are actually carrying HPV; it's just that the virus stays dormant because a healthy immune system keeps it on a tight leash. Just because it's there doesn't mean it's going to cause you any actual trouble.

Angela Wright said:Some doctors swear it’s possible, while others say it isn’t.
Look, if your mom didn't wash her hands thoroughly after touching something and then you touched her and subsequently touched your own genital area... yeah, it's technically possible. But please, don't let that stress you out. A huge portion of the population in the US carries HPV; it's just that the virus remains inactive because the immune system keeps it in check. It doesn't necessarily mean it's going to cause you any issues.

Thanks for the response. 🙂