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Casual sex. Hooking up. Getting lucky. Whatever you choose to call it, sex that happens between people who are not in a monogamous relationship can be a natural, healthy form of sexual expression. A sexually transmitted infection STI is an infection caused by bacteria, viruses, or parasites, which can be passed between partners during sexual activity.
While there are many contraceptive options for reducing risk of pregnancy, barrier methods are the only contraceptive options that also reduce risk for STIs 3. While barrier methods do provide protection against most STIs, they provide only limited protection against STIs that are spread via skin-to-skin contact, such as the herpes virus and human papillomavirus HPV.
This is because the condom or glove or dental dam may not completely cover all of the skin that contains infection 4. STIs with no noticeable symptoms can still be passed on to sexual partners, and if left untreated, they can pose a long-term risk to your health and fertility. Visiting a healthcare provider and getting tested allows you to quickly identify any issues and get appropriate treatment if needed.
Hepatitis A and hepatitis B are viral infections of the liver that can be transmitted via sexual activity. The CDC recommends that all infants 7 , as well as people with certain risk factors, be vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis B 6. There are many strains of HPV, and some strains can cause genital warts or lead to cancer.
