By Michael Herrigel and Matt Reed

STIs are Sexually Transmitted Infections, or infections that you can get by having any type of sex, including anal, oral, and vaginal Some STIs can be transmitted through any kind of skin contact, including kissing There are many ways to prevent yourself from being infected with STIs Women are more susceptible to STIs than men, and if the woman is pregnant, then the STI can be much more dangerous and even fatal

The only prevention technique of STIs that is 100% effective is abstinence. Abstinence is the decision to not have sex. If you do not have sex, then you can’t get an STI.

Mutual Monogamy is having sex with only one partner who only has sex with you If you and your partner are both uninfected by STIs, then this is an effective way to protect yourself from getting an STI This method only works if you and your partner stay faithful to each other, otherwise one person could pick up an STI from someone else and then transmit it

Wearing a condom during sex is another way to prevent STIs. A condom is a thin sheath, usually of very thin rubber, worn over the penis during sexual intercourse to prevent conception or sexually transmitted disease Condoms are not 100% effective, and they do not protect against all types of STIs. Even if you wear a condom, you are still at risk of getting herpes or genital warts.

A female condom works the same way as a male condom, but it is placed inside the woman’s vagina Like male condoms, female condoms are not 100% effective, and they do not protect against all types of STIs Female condoms are less effective than male condoms

It is a common belief that spermicides prevent STIs as well as being a contraceptive Not only do spermicides not prevent STIs, but it is proven that they can actually increase the risk of receiving an STI because it irritates the cervix of the woman

Bacterial STIs are caused by bacteria and can be cured if caught early enough Antibiotics are an easy way to cure bacterial STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis Chlamydia is the commonly reported STI in America Syphilis

Viral STIs are caused by viruses and can not be cured Some viral STIs are manageable once infected, but the virus will be in your body for the rest of your life Even if the symptoms go away, the virus is still in your body Examples of Viral STIs are HIV/AIDS, herpes, and hepatitis Herpes

A vaccine is any preparation used as a preventive inoculation to confer immunity against a specific disease If given before infected, some vaccines can prevent STIs Gardasil is a vaccine that can be given to women to prevent cervical cancer and four different types of papillomavirus

Other Ways to Prevent STIs If you insist on having unprotected sex, there are other methods to protect yourself from STIs After sex, you should… –Urinate –Wash your genitals –See a doctor to see if you’ve been infected Although these methods are not as effective as abstinence or using condoms, they still greatly reduce the risk of getting an STI

Symptoms Some symptoms of STIs may be: –Pain or irritation when urinating, or during intercourse –Sores, blisters, ulcers, warts, lumps or rashes anywhere in the genital or anal area –Itchiness or irritation in the genital or anal area –Persistent or recurring diarrhea –Unusual discharge of any fluid from the penis or vagina