If I've never had sex or done anything sexual with another person, should I still get tested? Thank you for everything you do.
Asked by Anonymous
STIs — aka sexually transmitted infections — are spread through oral sex, anal sex, vaginal sex, and skin-to-skin genital touching (like dry humping with no clothes on). It’s also possible to spread STIs if you swap sexual fluids, like if you get your partner’s semen, precum, or vaginal fluids on your hand and then touch your own genitals. And some STIs (like HIV and hepatitis B) can spread by sharing needles too.
If you’ve never done any of these things, you probably don’t need to be tested for STIs. But it’s great that you’re keeping your sexual health in mind! If you decide to become sexually active in the future, it’s a good idea to have a safer sex plan — like having internal or external condoms nearby and available to you and your partner(s), thinking about if PrEP is right for you, and knowing where you and your partner(s) can go get tested when the time comes. Pro tip: Planned Parenthood’s here for all your STI testing needs. We also have a handy quiz you can use to find out if it’s time to get an STI test: tools.plannedparenthood.org/std