The Real Life Body Book by Hope Ricciotti

Author:Hope Ricciotti [Ricciotti, Hope]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 978-0-307-76859-9
Publisher: Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed
Published: 2010-11-09T16:00:00+00:00

REAL LIFE QUESTION: Does having a cold sore mean I have an STI?

Not necessarily. Most cold sores on your lips are spread by kissing. You usually get your first case in childhood when someone with a cold sore kisses you. It’s very common for Mom and Dad to pass on sores to their little ones. Cold sores are very contagious, though. Don’t kiss any part of your partner when you have a cold sore.

Protecting Yourself from Sexually Transmitted Infections

Worries about sexually transmitted infections will put a damper on your sex drive. STIs are diseases that are spread by sexual contact—by having oral, anal, or vaginal sex with someone who has an STI (see chapter 13, Your Vagina and Cervix, for details). Some STIs can damage your potential to have a baby later on. Some are painful, and HIV can even kill you if it results in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and you don’t get a timely diagnosis and treatment.

Some STIs, like gonorrhea, can be cured. Others, like herpes and HIV, can be treated but not cured. Anyone who has sex, even one time, can get pregnant or get an STI. Use a condom every time you have sex until you are in a committed, long-term relationship and you have both been tested and cleared. It’s the only effective way, other than abstinence, to reduce the risk of infection. Use a dental dam made from condoms for oral sex.

The human papillomavirus (HPV), believed to cause certain cervical cancers, is sexually transmitted. Condoms can give you a little protection, but you are still at risk because HPV can spread from contact with the areas not covered by the condom, such as the scrotum, vulva, or anus or the skin between those areas. If you qualify for the HPV vaccination, make sure you get it.

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