Moist Towels, Tanning Beds, Lip Balm; 5 Shocking Ways You Might Contract STDs
STDs are sexually transmitted diseases. Some common and known STDs include HIV, chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, some forms of hepatitis, syphilis, and trichomoniasis are STDs.
STDs are serious illnesses that require treatment. Some STDs, such as HIV, cannot be cured and can be deadly. By learning more about STDs, you can learn ways to protect yourself. Most people only pay attention to the s–ual part of contacting STDs, leaving other important ways of contacting the diseases. These are other possible ways to contact STDs.
Oral S3x
Viruses like HPV and herpes also live inside the mouth and can easily be transmitted to your genital areas because the lining of the vagina is very similar to the lining of the mouth. So dental dams and condoms are actually necessary.
Skin-to-skin Contact
Even if your mate is wearing a condom, you can still get HPV if your crotch skin touches his crotch skin. Any skin-to-skin contact can transmit viruses like HPV through tiny breaks in the skin (like a little cut from shaving) on either of you.
Lip Balm
First, you need to remember that there are two types of herpes: herpes simplex type 1 (oral) and herpes simplex type 2 (genital), both of which can be spread via direct contact. Also, it’s not easy for STDs to exist on inanimate objects—so you can breathe again. But if someone applies balm to their lips near an infected area, meaning you can visibly see symptoms like a cold sore, and you use it. And on a gross note: Even if a person isn’t experiencing a flareup, they can still spread the virus. It’s just less likely. This also goes for things like lipstick and cigarettes
Moist Towels
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are both viruses and bacteria, so they can live in environments that make them thrive,” says Wider. And what better place to call home than a warm, moist.
Have you ever heard of trichomoniasis? Doubtful—even though it’s one of the most common STDs, and masquerades as a vaginal infection with a funky-smelling discharge. On top of that, it can live on things—like towels—longer. So please, do yourself a favor and BYOT (bring your own towel) whenever you need one.
Tanning Beds
You’d think that all that heat and UV exposure would kill off any lingering infections, but no. We’re particularly talking about HPV, which is usually spread through skin-to-skin contact. “Wait, I have HPV and wear my bikini bottoms when I tan, so everyone’s safe, right?” Wrong. HPV can show up on different parts of your body like your fingers, and we’re 99.97% sure you aren’t wearing gloves in those tubes. Then there’s molluscum contagiosum—a virus that causes small, round bumps with craters to appear on your skin—which could be contracted from a tanning bed. Technically, this isn’t an STD, though it can be spread sexually.