{"id":19854,"date":"2022-08-30T13:26:35","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T18:26:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?p=19854"},"modified":"2023-03-20T12:38:40","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T17:38:40","slug":"can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/","title":{"rendered":"Can You Get STIs Without Having Sex?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re sexually active, you already know how important it is to protect yourself from <\/span>sexually transmitted infections<\/span><\/a>, a term often used interchangeably with <\/span>sexually transmitted diseases<\/span><\/i>.\u00a0<\/span>Using a condom <\/span>\u201cconsistently and correctly\u201d<\/span><\/a> during penetrative sex can offer significant protection from STIs spread by bodily fluids, such as HIV, gonorrhea and syphilis. \u201cThose things live in the urethra and cervix, so intercourse is a very efficient way of spreading them,\u201d says <\/span>Dr. Lauren F. Streicher<\/span><\/a>, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But intercourse isn\u2019t the only way to have sex \u2014 and it\u2019s not the only way to spread STIs. Here are five other ways infections can be transmitted, and how to protect yourself from each.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Outercourse<\/h3>\n

Some STIs, such as herpes and the human papillomavirus (HPV), spread through skin contact. Rubbing skin without underwear on, known as \u201coutercourse,\u201d can transmit these viruses from genital to genital or even genital to hand. If the other party has a bloodborne infection like HIV, chlamydia or syphilis, you can get infected if your partner has a cut or bleeding in or around their genitals. These small wounds don\u2019t have to be dramatic and can stem from things like shaving or friction. Bodily fluids like pre-ejaculate or vaginal discharge can also transmit infection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Condoms might seem like an ideal solution to everything, but they don\u2019t protect you from skin contact. The best way to protect yourself from skin infections during non-penetrative sex is to wear clothes. It may not be as fun, but keep in mind that underwear doesn\u2019t cover all the skin that could be infected, like on your thighs or butt.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Oral sex<\/h3>\n

Mouth-to-genital contact is another way to get an STI. If you peform oral sex without protection on a partner with an STI on their genitals, your mouth may become infected. The same is true in reverse: If your partner has herpes in their mouth and performs oral sex on you, you could contract an infection in your genitals or wherever their mouth touches.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A barrier is essential to prevent transmitting an infection during oral sex. Dental dams, a latex sheet in the oral sex\u2013giver\u2019s mouth, can help. In a pinch, you can make your own dental dam by cutting the tip and end off an unlubricated condom to make a square.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some people like using latex panties as protection, and Streicher says many users report increased sensation. An FDA-approved product called the <\/span>FC2 Female Condom<\/span><\/a> also offers high levels of protection. \u201cThe condom goes inside the vagina, protecting from ejaculation, but it also covers the vulva,\u201d says Streicher.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Anal sex<\/h3>\n

Anal sex may prevent pregnancy, but it\u2019s a common route for spreading STIs. To prevent sharing bodily fluids during anal sex, use a condom and avoid oil-based lubricant, which can cause condoms to break. To protect yourself and your partner from skin infections during other types of anal contact, whether using fingers or the mouth, Streicher recommends wearing latex panties.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Kissing<\/h3>\n

You already know you can catch a cold or Covid-19 from kissing. Mouth-to-mouth contact can also transmit viral STIs, such as herpes. Skip kissing if either party has an active cold sore. If you head south, use protection to prevent spreading the herpes to the other party\u2019s genitals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Sex toys<\/h3>\n

Sharing <\/span>sex toys<\/span><\/a>, especially if you don\u2019t thoroughly wash them, can also spread STIs. Using a vibrator, for example, then sharing without washing it could transmit skin infections like herpes. If someone uses a penetrative vibrator, the toy could spread chlamydia or syphilis. Streicher says bacterial vaginosis, a \u201csexually associated condition,\u201d commonly spreads when people share toys. Any toy that\u2019s been used anally should never go in the vagina, and vice versa.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are feeling generous, Streicher recommends using a condom on your toy or washing it between partners. \u201cThey also make wipes for sex toys if you\u2019d rather not jump out of bed and go to the sink,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

What to do if you think you have an STI<\/h3>\n

If you find out you were exposed to an STI or you have symptoms, check in with your doctor. Streicher says some primary care doctors screen for STIs. People with vaginas often need full gynecological exams to be tested, so your PCP may refer you to a gynecologist. If you have a penis, getting tested usually involves an external exam or urine test, which some primary care doctors can do.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you get tested, be sure to mention the exact concerns you have. \u201cThere\u2019s no way to get screened for everything, so if you\u2019re worried about something specific, like anal or oral transmission, you need to tell your provider,\u201d Streicher says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Ready to book a doctor\u2019s appointment? Visit\u00a0Zocdoc.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How to make sure you’re fully protecting yourself from STIs. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":19855,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[227],"tags":[103,81,56,106,202,83],"class_list":["post-19854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-prep","tag-preventive-care","tag-primary-care","tag-treatment","tag-urgent-care","tag-wellness","reviewer-dr-nassim-assefi"],"yoast_head":"\nCan You Get STIs Without Having Sex? - Guides<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"How to make sure you're fully protecting yourself from STIs, which you can contract in a number of ways you might not expect.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Can You Get STIs Without Having Sex? - Guides\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How to make sure you're fully protecting yourself from STIs, which you can contract in a number of ways you might not expect.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Paper Gown\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-08-30T18:26:35+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-03-20T17:38:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/stds.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"896\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ashley Abramson\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ashleyabrmsn\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ashley Abramson\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ashley Abramson\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a25c642efad8fd930ba3d310498e814b\"},\"headline\":\"Can You Get STIs Without Having Sex?\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-08-30T18:26:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-20T17:38:40+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/\"},\"wordCount\":815,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/stds.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Appointment Prep\",\"Preventive Care\",\"Primary Care\",\"Treatment\",\"Urgent Care\",\"Wellness\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Guides\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/\",\"name\":\"Can You Get STIs Without Having Sex? - Guides\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/stds.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-08-30T18:26:35+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-03-20T17:38:40+00:00\",\"description\":\"How to make sure you're fully protecting yourself from STIs, which you can contract in a number of ways you might not expect.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/stds.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/stds.png\",\"width\":1920,\"height\":896},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Guides\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/category\/guides\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Can You Get STIs Without Having Sex?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"The Paper Gown\",\"description\":\"Stories for and about patients\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Zocdoc\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png\",\"width\":2059,\"height\":1049,\"caption\":\"Zocdoc\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a25c642efad8fd930ba3d310498e814b\",\"name\":\"Ashley Abramson\",\"description\":\"Ashley Abramson is a writer in Minneapolis.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/ashleyabrmsn\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/author\/ashleyabramson\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Can You Get STIs Without Having Sex? - Guides","description":"How to make sure you're fully protecting yourself from STIs, which you can contract in a number of ways you might not expect.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Can You Get STIs Without Having Sex? - Guides","og_description":"How to make sure you're fully protecting yourself from STIs, which you can contract in a number of ways you might not expect.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/","og_site_name":"The Paper Gown","article_published_time":"2022-08-30T18:26:35+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-03-20T17:38:40+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1920,"height":896,"url":"https:\/\/zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/stds.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Ashley Abramson","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ashleyabrmsn","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ashley Abramson","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/"},"author":{"name":"Ashley Abramson","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a25c642efad8fd930ba3d310498e814b"},"headline":"Can You Get STIs Without Having Sex?","datePublished":"2022-08-30T18:26:35+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-20T17:38:40+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/"},"wordCount":815,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/stds.png","keywords":["Appointment Prep","Preventive Care","Primary Care","Treatment","Urgent Care","Wellness"],"articleSection":["Guides"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/","name":"Can You Get STIs Without Having Sex? - Guides","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/stds.png","datePublished":"2022-08-30T18:26:35+00:00","dateModified":"2023-03-20T17:38:40+00:00","description":"How to make sure you're fully protecting yourself from STIs, which you can contract in a number of ways you might not expect.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/stds.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/stds.png","width":1920,"height":896},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/guides\/can-you-get-stis-without-having-sex\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Guides","item":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/category\/guides\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Can You Get STIs Without Having Sex?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/","name":"The Paper Gown","description":"Stories for and about patients","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Zocdoc","url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/thepapergown.wpengine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/ZD-logo.png","width":2059,"height":1049,"caption":"Zocdoc"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a25c642efad8fd930ba3d310498e814b","name":"Ashley Abramson","description":"Ashley Abramson is a writer in Minneapolis.","sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/ashleyabrmsn"],"url":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/author\/ashleyabramson\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/26"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19854"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19854\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zocdoc.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}