What is an STI?
Sexually transmissible infections (STIs) are infections which can be passed from one person to another during sexual contact.
Sexual contact includes:
- kissing
- touching or rubbing genitals
- oral sex (mouth on genitals)
- intercourse (penis in vagina, penis in bum)
- using sex toys
What are the most common STIs?
The most common STIs are:
- Chlamydia
- Genital warts and HPV
- Herpes (cold sores)
- Gonorrhoea
- Syphilis
- Hepatitis A, B and C
- HIV
Find out more about STIs
How do you get an STI?
You can get an STI by having sex without a condom.
You are more likely to get an STI if you have sex without a condom with:
- casual partners - a casual partner is someone you have sex with, but are not in a relationship with or maybe don’t know very well. The more casual partners you have, the higher your risk for getting an STI
- partners who have had sex without a condom with other casual partners
- partners in some countries outside Australia
- partners who have had sex without a condom in some countries outside Australia
- partners who have injected drugs
Men who have anal sex without a condom with other men are also at higher risk of STIs.
How do you know if you have an STI?
Some STIs don’t have any signs or symptoms, so you can have an STI without knowing. This means you can pass the STI to a sexual partner and make them sick too.
Some STIs show symptoms around your genitals. Genitals include:
- penis
- testicles
- vagina
- vulva
- anus
These symptoms can include:
- rash or itching in the genitals
- unusual discharge from the penis, vagina or anus
- burning when you pee
- sores, blisters or ulcers
- bumps or lumps on the skin
- pain in the genitals or lower belly
- bleeding after intercourse
How urgent are my symptoms?
What is an STI test?
The only way to find out if you have an STI is to have an STI test:
- urine test - you will need to urinate into a jar
- blood test - a nurse or doctor will take some of your blood
- swab test - a nurse or doctor will use a cotton swab to take a test from your genitals, anus or mouth
Your doctor will tell you which tests you should have. It takes 1 to 2 weeks to get the test results.
Where can I be tested?
When should you be tested?
You should have an STI test if:
- you have sex without a condom
- you have any STI symptoms
- you are worried that you might have an STI
- your condom broke or fell off during sex
- you or your partner has sex with other people
- you share needles, syringes and spoons to inject drugs
What tests do I need?
How urgent are my symptoms?
What can you do if your test is positive?
A ‘positive’ test result means you have an STI. Your doctor will give you medication to treat the STI.
Most bacterial STIs can be treated and cured. This means when you are finished treatment, the infection is gone from your body and can’t be passed onto a sexual partner.
Some viral STIs can be treated, but not cured. This means when you are finished treatment, the physical symptoms of the virus are gone but the virus may remain in your body and may still be able to be passed onto a sexual partner.
Who do you need to tell about your test results?
You should tell your sexual partners if you have an STI, so they can go to their doctor to have a test.
If your sexual partners are not tested or don't take their STI medication, you could keep giving the STI to each other.
You do not have to tell your:
- boss
- workmates
- friends
- family
It can be difficult to talk to partners about STIs, but you can use an online resource called Let Them Know to help you either tell your partners yourself or anonymously about some STIs.
You can also ask your doctor if they can help you. Let Them Know provides information to help doctors help you.
How are STIs treated?
You should see your doctor to have regular STI tests to make sure you stay STI free.
Most STIs are easily treated with medication such as antibiotics. After the treatment is finished, you will not pass the STI on to anyone else.
Some STIs can be treated with medication, but not cured. The medication will help control the STI in your body and help prevent symptoms. You will need to manage the STI and your sexual contact. Your doctor can talk to you about how to do this.
If STIs are not treated, you could have long term health problems such as infertility and you can continue to pass the STI on to your sexual partners.
How can you make sure you don't give an STI to someone else?
Always use a condom when you have sex.
If you do get an STI, don’t have sex again until you and your sexual partners have seen a doctor and finished the STI treatment.
How can you avoid STIs?
The best way to avoid getting an STI is to use a condom or other barrier method every time you have sex. You should also:
- practice safe sex
- get regular sexual health checks
- talk about it with your partners
Safe sex
If you or your sexual partner has STI symptoms, don’t touch or rub the area. If you think you have an STI, don’t have sex again until you have been to the doctor.
Oral sex can be safe sex
Oral sex has a lower risk of transmitting most (but not all) STIs. If you have oral sex, these tips can reduce the risk of STIs
- Use condoms - flavoured ones are available
- Use dental dams or latex barriers
- Do not get semen or blood in your mouth
- Avoid oral sex if you have mouth ulcers or bleeding gums
- Do no brush your teeth immediately before oral sex
- If you get cold sores, don't give your partner oral sex when you have an outbreak. Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus and you could pass herpes on to your partner
Using condoms
- Use condoms that meet Australian and international Standards
- Check the use by date on the packet, do not use condoms which have expired as they might break
- Open the packet carefully, don't use your teeth
- Be careful not to break the condom with rings or fingernails
- Check which way the condom unrolls, but don't unroll before putting it on
- Use the condom for the whole time you are having sex
- You can only use a condom once
- Never wash out a condom and use it again
- Don't flush condoms down the toilet - it might block the toilet. Wrap used condoms in paper and put them in a bin.
Tips on using a condom
- Put the condom on when the penis is hard and erect
- Put the condom on before the penis comes into contact with the vagina or anus
- Squeeze the teat on the end of the condom between two fingers. This is to push out any air in the condom tip so that there is room for the semen
- Place the condom against the tip of the penis
- Gently unroll the condom all the way down to the base of the penis
- If you don't get the condom on right the first time, throw it away and start again with a new condom
- Use a water soluble lubricant. Lubricant makes sex more comfortable and helps stop the condom from breaking
- Lubricant is necessary and essential for anal sex
- Rub the lubricant on the outside of the condom and on your body
- The penis should be withdrawn immediately after ejaculation
- Hold the rim of the condom to stop any spillage and stop the condom coming off inside your partner's body
- Slip the condom off the penis carefully
- If you want to have sex again, put on a new condom
Where to get condoms
Condoms are available from
- Supermarkets and pharmacies and chemists
- Vending machines
- Family Planning Associations
- Sexual health services often have free condoms and lubricant
- Youth services
- Aboriginal medical services
Looking after condoms
Condoms that break put you at risk of catching an STI or becoming pregnant. Condoms may be damaged by:
- Heat: keep condoms in a cool, dry place. Do not keep condoms in the glove box of a car.
- Oil: oil-based lubricants can cause condoms to break. Do not use Vaseline or massage oil as lubricant as this can weaken the condom or dam
- Teeth: do not use your teeth to open the condom package. During oral sex, teeth may break the condom
- Friction: always use a water-based lubricant to prevent condoms breaking from too much friction
- Expiry date: make sure that the use by date has not passed
Get regular sexual health checks
- If you often have sex with new or different partners, get a sexual health check every three months.
- If you notice any symptoms or signs of an STI, see a doctor. Don’t have sex again until you have seen a doctor and finished your treatment.
- An STI check is the same as an STD check.
- STI means sexually transmissible infection.
- STD means sexually transmitted disease.
- STI is the preferred term now
Talk about it
- Learn how to talk to your partners about sexual health.
- Be open with your sexual partners about your sexual history and health. It’s okay to ask them if they’ve ever had an STI or have been tested recently.
Consent, hooking up and relationships
Consent
- Always make sure your partner/s are comfortable with the type and degree of sexual activity
- Always get positive and enthusiastic consent
- Consent starts with a person knowing and understanding what they are taking part in
- Before having sex or any sexual activity, you and your partner need to understand what you are consenting to
- Without consent, there should be no sexual activity or sex
- Consent is a free and voluntary agreement that can be withdrawn at any point by either partner
- Consent is the most important first step when it comes to sex
- Consent makes sex a safe, happy and enjoyable experience
- Sexual activity should be fun for everyone involved. It's important to communicate that even though you may have consented to do certain things, if you are not enjoying it then it's ok to tell your partner that you want to stop or try something else
- Always respect and follow your partner's request to stop
- Anyone is allowed to change their mind at any time, even when they are naked or midway through sex
- Always remember that it's illegal to have sex or continue sex without consent
Negotiated safety and safe sex
- Many people in relationships want to have sex without using barrier methods like condoms, dams or latex barriers
- Negotiated safety is a safer way for people in relationships to stop using barrier methods while reducing the risk of STIs
- Negotiated safety is where both partners test negative for STIs and both agree not to use any form of barrier protection
Negotiated safety provides a safer environment for unprotected vaginal, anal or oral sex, but for it to work three things are essential:
- Talking: talk early and openly with your sexual partner. Agree together about not using condoms or dams and about the need to reduce the risk of STIs. This is a good time to discuss options around contraception and, if you think there might be a risk of HIV, consider the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).
- Testing: get an STI check up at least three months after the last time you had unprotected sex with anyone, including your current sexual partner. Share your test results with your partner. If you and your partner both have negative STI test results, you can talk about having unprotected sex. Contraception is also important if there is a need to avoid unplanned pregnancy from vaginal sex.
- Trust: once you and your partner have made an agreement to have unprotected sex, this means only have sex with each other OR having 100% protected sex with any other partners.
Keep the conversation going with your partner around sexual practices and sexual health.
If you or your partner has unprotected sex outside of your sexual relationship you should go back to using condoms, dams and latex barriers for at least 3 months and then get STI testing again.
