In the first place, what is a sexually transmitted infection (STI)?
➡An STI is an illness that’s passed from person to person primarily by sexual contact
How are STIs transmitted through sexual contact?
1. Mucousal infection:
STI pathogens are transmitted through contact between the mucous membranes (ex. penis, vulva, mouth, throat) of two people
Ex. Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Herpes, etc.
2. Infection from anal-oral contact (rimming):
Through licking the other person’s anus (rimming), fecal matter may enter the mouth and then the digestive system
Ex. Hepatitis A, amoebal dysentery, etc.
3. Infection from blood:
If your partner’s blood comes into contact with your own blood stream, the pathogens inside the blood may be transmitted
Ex. HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, etc.
?? But how can an STI be transmitted by blood during sex?
➡Through the friction caused by rubbing your bodies against one another, very small cuts (invisible to the eye) may appear, and small amounts of blood from one person may enter into the other person’s blood stream.
What’s the risk of infection from one case of unprotected sex?
Risk of mucousal membrane infection (10~50%) >> Risk of infection from blood (0.1~5%)
However, STIs transmitted by blood – like HIV/AIDS – are often very hard to treat.
*Note: What does a probability of 0.1% mean?
If 1000 people had unprotected sex without a condom, one of them would become infected. You might be that 1 person!! The 0.1% figure also assumes that your mucous membranes are healthy to begin with and don’t have any pre-existing cuts. If your mucous membranes are weakened from having either Gonorrhea or Chlamydia, then the probability of catching an STI from blood infection rises about 5~20 times!
Secondary prevention
You can strengthen your protection against HIV transmission through receiving regular STI exams and through the early detection and treatment of Gonorrhea and Chlamydia.
Vaginal infections
Although vaginal infections are not STIs, they can still be caused by organisms that are passed from person to person. Your risk of infection increases when your immune system is weakened through lack of sleep, overwork, an irregular lifestyle, a lack of nutrition, or stress.