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This summer, I made a faithful trip to the health department for birth control. I didn’t expect for it to be
anything more than just a trip to talk to some nurses and doctors.

Shortly after that trip, I learned I had a sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is a truly embarrassing
experience. I had to re-evaluate my actions, my relationship, and the protection I used. It weighed heavily on me that I actually had a STI. I felt like I made the biggest mistake of my life, but the nurse that told me about my STI gave me the best advice. She told me, “Stop crying. It’s curable. Yes it is a bad thing, but you already have it. Now you know what not to do.” Those words floated around in my head for a few moments – I realized she was right. A STI doesn’t make you. It’s what you do after the STI that makes you. Anybody could’ve made the same mistake I made. You just have take a deep breath, understand and accept your mistake, and make the necessary changes to make sure it doesn’t happen again. You can’t beat yourself up over-and-over about it.

Condoms are awesome. Get tested with your partner so you both know you’re okay. Talk about having a monogamous relationship with your partner. If it’s just a one-night thing, remember that condoms are awesome!!

You are NOT a number or statistic because of your STI. Love yourself regardless. Remember, we all make mistakes. This is not a road block in your life. You can get past this.

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“My boyfriend and I were messing around and ended up grinding against each other in our underwear. Could pre-cum get through the fabric and get me pregnant? I’m a virgin and slightly paranoid about pregnancy.”

To answer your question, you are not likely to get pregnant from the activities that you are describing. The more important conversation is how old are you and your boyfriend and have you talked about using birth control. I want to encourage you to make an appointment with a health care provider who can give you information on birth control and can also provide information on protection from sexually transmitted infections.

“I was giving my boyfriend a hand job and this watery stuff seeped out of his penis every now and then. Apparently it got on my arm and he thought it was spit, so he wiped it off. After that he started fingering me. I googled whether I could get pregnant from this since his hands may have touched it, but I can’t get a straight answer. What do you guys say?”

It is highly unlikely that you will become pregnant from the situation you describe. However, you should see a health care provider to discuss birth control options to prevent an unintended pregnancy.

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Food, maybe… but STIs.. nope.

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“Are there any STIs you can’t get tested for?”

When you get tested for STIs it doesn’t mean you’re getting tested for all STIs. Usually when you get tested, your provider will test you for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and maybe HIV.

You might wanna get HPV testing if you have a cervix, or you may just get Pap tests, which look for problems caused by HPV.  If you’ve got a penis, you can’t get tested for HPV, but you can get vaccinated.

If you think you’ve been exposed to another STD or have symptoms, talk with your doctor or nurse — they’ll let you know what tests you might need.

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What is it?

Trichomoniasis (also called trich) is a common, curable
sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by a parasitic protozoa
called Trichomonas vaginalis. More than one million new cases occur each year in the U.S. Trich may cause symptoms in women, but most men do not have
symptoms. If you have trich, you are more
likely to contract HIV if you are exposed–so getting tested and treated
is important.

How do you get it and how do you protect yourself?

Trich is
spread through sexual contact with an infected partner: this includes
penis-to-vagina intercourse or genital-to-genital contact.

Using latex condoms correctly every time during sexual intercourse will
help reduce the risk of getting or spreading trichomoniasis.

What are the symptoms?

Only about 30 percent of people that have trich develop any
symptoms. Symptoms of trich are more common in women. These include:

• Vaginal discharge
• A bad vaginal smell
• Itching in or around the vagina
• Pain during sex
• Pain when urinating

Most men don’t have symptoms of trich but when they do, symptoms can
include itching or irritation inside the penis, a discharge or pain when
urinating.

Some people with symptoms of trich get them within 5 to 28 days after
being infected, but others do not develop symptoms until later.
Symptoms can come and go, and without treatment, the infection can last
for months or even years.

How do you treat trich?

Trich is curable with antibiotics, but remember to use all the medicine prescribed, even if your symptoms go away. Sex partners must also be treated, or you will get trich again.

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“I went to the doctor thinking I had a urinary tract infection, but it was chlamydia. I got diagnosed and took my medicine just like I was supposed to, but now my UTI-like symptoms are fully back. Could it be the same STI as before?“

Your doctor will be able to tell you for sure, but it’s possible that your STI is back (or that it never fully went away). You should abstain from sexual activity for 7 days once you’ve started treatment. It’s also possible that it wasn’t passed back to you, but rather that your treatment didn’t work (sometimes certain
antibiotics work better for some than others).

You and your partner should get tested again as soon as you can if you start having symptoms. If one or
both of you have chlamydia, be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations and abstain from sex (oral, anal, and vaginal sex) for the full 7 days.

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Condoman vs. Gonorrhea … It’s onnnnnn!

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