Signs of an STI / Types of STI / STI Transmission / Ways to stay safer / STI Testing / FAQ

Have you heard the news? 15-24 year olds are one of the fastest growing group of people getting sexually transmitted infections (STI).

STI used to be called STD, but since most are infections, and the word ‘disease’ can scare people into not getting tested or telling a partner, we now say ‘infections’.

You can’t tell by looking at someone if they have an STI. Anyone can get an STI. Calling someone words like “dirty” causes shame, which puts us all at risk because it can stop people from getting info, getting tested, and using condoms. For example, some people don’t want to suggest using condoms because they don’t want their partner to think they have an STI. Sometimes they are afraid to get tested for STI because they are just too scared of finding out if they have one. This puts us at risk, because this person might not use condoms, and they might have an STI and not know it because they haven’t been tested.

Some people think that the only people who get STI are people who have sex with lots of partners, people who share needles, people who are gay, or people in the sex trade. This IS NOT true, and if we believe that only “those” people get STI, and we and our partner aren’t doing those things, we might not use condoms or get tested and make other healthy lifestyle choices. When it comes down to it, it’s your decisions around condom use (using them every time) and testing (getting tested often) that decide whether you’re more or less likely to get an STI.