Symptoms, talking to partners, and what to do if you get a positive test
Because we wish to focus on the concerns of STI acquisition, prevention, symptoms, and safety, please assume for the purposes of this STI toolkit that we are speaking primarily of sexual organs, the physical parts of the body that can acquire and pass on STIs. For symptomatology and anything else related to identification of different types of genitals, we have avoided using terms such as “man” or “woman” and have instead used the names of those body parts. We hope this can be a more inclusive way of discussing sexual health!
There are a number of ways to practice safer sex. Safer sex is a form of harm reduction. Read more...
Although it is normal to feel embarrassed after a positive STI diagnosis, you are not alone! Half of sexually active people will contract one before they reach the age of 25. Read more...
Did your sex ed fail you when it came to queer safer sex? Us too. Read more...
Human Papillomavirus Infection, or HPV, is an STI virus that causes certain STDs, such as genital and anal cancers and warts. Some types of HPV can cause anal cancer. genital warts, cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, and vaginal cancer. Read more...
Chlamydia, also known as “the clam,” is the most common bacterial STI on college campuses, in the U.S., and worldwide. Chlamydia is a bacterial infection of the genitals, anus, or throat. Read more...
Gonorrhea is a common bacterial infection. It can infect the throat, genitals, and rectum. It is extremely common, especially among high school and college students. There are believed to be 800,000 new cases in the U.S. each year. Read more...
Syphilis is a bacterial infection usually (but not always) spread through sexual contact. The bacteria can infect the rectum, cervix, penis, and even the throat. In the U.S. last year, there were about 9.5 cases of syphilis per 100,000 people. Read more...
Herpes Simplex is a common viral infection. There are two different strains of the virus: HSV1 and HSV2. Usually, HSV1 manifests as sores around the mouth, and HSV2 as sores around the genitals. Read more...
Trichomoniasis or “trich” is a microscopic parasite that can live in the cervix, urethra, or the foreskin (the skin that covers the head of the penis). It is estimated that about 3.7 million people in the U.S. have it, and it can make sex very painful and unpleasant. Read more...
HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. HIV is the virus, whereas AIDS is the disease that can develop after contracting HIV. Read more...
Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition that affects the liver, and it is most commonly caused by a viral infection (covered in this article), but can be caused by other factors such as toxins or psychoactive drugs. Read more...
Bacterial Vaginosis (BV) is a mild infection due to an overgrowth of anaerobe, or malignant bacteria in the vagina. Read more...