Goal: Reduce Sexually Transmitted Infections And Their Complications And Improve Access To Quality Sti Care
Although many sexually transmitted infections are preventable, there are more than 20 million estimated new cases in the United States each year and rates are increasing.1 In addition, more than 1.2 million people in the United States are living with HIV .2Healthy People 2030 focuses on preventing and treating STIs, including HIV, and on improving the health and well-being of people who have them.
Adolescents, young adults, and men who have sex with men are at higher risk of getting STIs. And people who have an STI may be at higher risk of getting HIV. Promoting behaviors like condom use can help prevent STIs.
Strategies to increase screening and testing for STIs can assess peoples risk of getting an STI and help people with STIs get treatment, improving their health and making it less likely that STIs will spread to others. Getting treated for an STI other than HIV can help prevent complications from the STI but doesnt prevent HIV from spreading.3
Get Tested And Treated For Stis
If you are sexually active, getting tested for STIs is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health. Make sure you have an open and honest conversation about your sexual history and STI testing with your health care provider and ask whether you should be tested for STIs.
Encourage your partner to do the same. You or your partner might have an STI without having symptoms. You and your partner should determine what sexual behaviors and prevention practices are going to be used in your relationshipand outside of it if you are not exclusive. The goal of this communication is to keep you BOTH healthy and free from new infections. Here are some great tips on talking with your partner.
If you test positive, know that getting an STI is not the end! Many STIs are curable and all are treatable. If either you or your partner is infected with an STI that can be cured, both of you need to start treatment immediately to avoid getting re-infected.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the first-ever STI Federal Action Plan in December 2020, providing a road map for STI prevention, diagnosis, care, and treatment. Read the STI Plan and find resources to help promote it.
Topics
Performing Oral Sex On A Man With Hiv
Theres a potential risk if an HIV negative person performs oral sex on a man with HIV who has a detectable viral load.
This risk increases if a mans infected pre-cum or semen gets into the other persons mouth.
Avoid getting semen in your mouth all but one of the cases where someone has been infected with HIV through oral sex took place when an HIV positive person with a detectable viral load ejaculated into their mouth.
Also Check: How Long Can Hiv Lay Dormant
Whats The Outlook For Those With Syphilis And Hiv
Antibiotics can often effectively treat syphilis in those with and without HIV. When identified and treated promptly, the outlook for syphilis in people with HIV is generally good.
Taking antiretroviral drugs as directed can also help to improve syphilis outlook in people living with HIV. In addition, sticking to treatment can slow HIV disease progression and lower the risk of HIV transmission.
In some cases, syphilis may progress faster or be harder to treat in those living with HIV. This appears to be more likely in people with a higher viral load and lower CD4 count.
After treatment, its possible to get syphilis again in the future. This can be prevented using many of the same strategies used to prevent HIV, such as always using a condom during sex, getting tested regularly for STIs, and asking sexual partners to be tested too.
Spreading Hiv And Stds
HIV and STDs are both contracted by having unprotected sexual contact of any kind. This includes vaginal, anal, and oral sex.
But sexual contact isnt the only way to contract an STD or HIV. Pathogens like HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C can also be spread by sharing needles or other drug paraphernalia.
Birthing parents can also pass HIV and some STDs on to babies while pregnant, during delivery, or through breastfeeding. For example, chlamydia and gonorrhea are two types of pathogens that can be passed to a baby during delivery.
Don’t Miss: How Long Does Hiv Live On A Surface
People With Hiv And Sexually Transmitted Infections
Sexually transmitted infections are very common among people who are sexually active. Anyone who has sex is at risk, including people with HIV. STIs are also commonly referred to as sexually transmitted diseases .
STIs are infections that are spread from person to person through sexual activity, including anal, vaginal, or oral sex. HIV is an STI. Other types of STIs include:
- Chlamydia
- Human papillomavirus
- Syphilis
STIs in the United States have increased in the past 5 years and are a public health crisis. Many STIs do not have symptoms, but when left undetected and untreated they can lead to serious health consequences. If you have HIV, it can be harder to treat STIs, especially if you have a low CD4 count. Thats why STI testing and treatment should be part of your regular HIV care if youre sexually active.
Hepatitis B and hepatitis C can also be transmitted through sexual contact and pose health risks to people with HIV. Read more about these viruses.
How To Prevent The Spread Of Hiv
People living with HIV can use the following to prevent transmitting it to others:
- Pre-exposure prophylaxis : This is a daily pill that contains two antivirals called tenofovir and emtricitabine. When a person takes it daily, PrEP can reduce the risk of acquiring HIV through sex by
- of a recent potential HIV exposure.
Read Also: What Do Hiv Bumps Look Like
Stds Make It Easier To Get Hiv
Having an STD can make it easier for you to get HIV. When you have an STD, it can change the cells in your vagina, penis, rectum, or mouth. Sometimes these changed cells cause visible open sores or ulcers, but cells can also be changed without any signs or symptoms.
These changed cells make it easier for HIV to enter your body. That means that if you already have an STD and you have unprotected sex with someone with HIV, youre more likely to contract HIV from the encounter.
Additionally, people who have both an STD and HIV are more likely to spread HIV to partners. Having an STD and HIV increases the amount of the HIV virus in semen or vaginal fluid. The increased amount makes it more likely that the virus will get passed on to a sexual partner.
Some STDs are more closely linked with HIV than others. For example, a 2010 study in Florida found that 42 percent of people with infectious syphilis also had HIV. Gonorrhea and herpes have also been found to have strong links to HIV.
Its important to remember that many STDs have no symptoms and that a person can have HIV for years before any symptoms begin. This means that its very possible to have an STD, HIV, or both and not know it.
This is why safe sex practices are so important. Unless you and any sexual partners have recently been tested for STDs and HIV, its best to use protection every time.
New Prep Drugs And Stis
Most recently the results of a clinical trial that directly compared TDF/FTC with tenofovir alfenamide TAF and FTC demonstrated the equivalency of the latter combination, although very few incident infections were detected . As an alternative to oral PrEP the integrase strand inhibitor cabotegravir has potential for long acting PrEP . Landovitz et al. identified a dose and dosage schedule for cabotegravir as PrEP . This agent is now being compared directly to TDF/FTC daily and TDF/FTC every eight weeks injection in more than 5000 high risk men and women . An important consideration is the HIV prevention efficacy of cabotegravir in the presence of an STI, and this is being explored. There is considerable interest in other means of delivering long acting HIV prevention in vaginal rings , , or implants or microneedle patches . These devices could potentially combine HIV and STI prevention, and contraception into a âmultipurpose intervention.â
Recommended Reading: Does Nba Youngboy Have Hiv
Challenges In Calculating A Number
It isn’t easy for researchers to calculate the risk of transmission from an exposure to HIV through sex. To do this effectively, a group of HIV-negative individuals need to be followed over time and their exposures to HIVboth the number of times they are exposed and the types of exposureneed to be tracked.
As you can imagine, accurately tracking the number of times a person is exposed to HIV is very difficult. Researchers ask HIV-negative individuals enrolled in these studies to report how many times they have had sex in a given period of time, what type of sex they had, how often they used condoms and the HIV status of their partner. Because a person may have trouble remembering their sexual behaviour or may not want to tell the whole truth, this reporting is often inaccurate.
Furthermore, a person does not always know the HIV status of their partner. For this reason, researchers usually enroll HIV-negative individuals who are in stable relationships with an HIV-positive partner . Researchers can then conclude that any unprotected sex reported by a study participant counts as an exposure to HIV.
What You Need To Know About The Links Between Hiv And Stds
Many people think that STDs are a harmless “fact of life.” Since most STDs can be cured, people think, “Doctors give you medicine and that’s the end of it, right?” Well, not quite! Having an STD can increase your chances of getting HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
Recommended Reading: Hiv Stays Alive In Dried Blood
Regular Screening Is Essential
It is extremely important for individuals with STDs to be treated. However, before a person can be treated, they first need to be diagnosed. For that, regular screening is essential. Most sexually transmitted diseases are asymptomatic. That means they have no symptoms, and people may not realize they’re infected. With no symptoms, the only way to ensure a timely STD diagnosis is screening. Otherwise, an infection can linger under the radar for many years. That is why it’s not enough just to go for STD testing when you have symptoms. Every sexually active adult should consider being screened for STDs on a regular basis. This not only reduces HIV risk, but it also lowers the risk of STD-related infertility, a problem that does not only affect women.
How Do People Get Hiv
HIV spreads when infected blood or body fluids enter the body. This can happen:
HIV also can pass from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding.
HIV is NOT spread through:
- pee, poop, spit, throw-up, or sweat
- coughing or sneezing
- sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses
Recommended Reading: Does Cookie Johnson Have Hiv
Syphilis Transmission Through A Single Heterosexual Contact
Syphilis is usually sexually transmitted. The risk of contracting syphilis from a sexual partner depends on many factors, including the frequency of sex, type of sexual contact , the stage of syphilis in the infected patient, the susceptibility of the partner, and whether a condom is used.
Stoltey and Cohen reported in a 2015 review article that the probability of transmission of a syphilis infection to a heterosexual partner through a single sexual act is 51%â64%.
How Can You Prevent Getting Or Transmitting Hiv Through Sex
There are several ways to prevent getting or transmitting HIV through anal or vaginal sex.
If you are HIV-negative, you can use HIV prevention medicine known as pre-exposure prophylaxis or post-exposure prophylaxis to protect yourself. You can also use other HIV prevention methods, below.
If you have HIV, the most important thing you can do to prevent transmission and stay healthy is to take your HIV medicine , every day, exactly as prescribed. People living with HIV who take HIV medicine daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting HIV to their HIV-negative partners. Read more about Treatment as Prevention. There also are other options to choose from, below.
Also Check: Does Cookie Johnson Have Hiv
Stds Can Increase The Risk Of Spreading Hiv
People with HIV are more likely to shed HIV when they have urethritis or a genital ulcer.4, 5 When a person with HIV gets another STD, such as gonorrhea or syphilis, it suggests that they were having sex without using condoms. If so, they may have spread HIV to their partners. Antiretroviral treatment for HIV can prevent the transmission of HIV even from persons who have other STDs.6
Oral Sex Is Least Likely To Result In Hiv Transmission
The risk of transmission through oral sex is much lower than through anal or vaginal sex. This is because the oral cavity contains a thick epithelial layer, a low number of CD4 target cells, and antiviral antibodies.
A 2008 meta-analysis by Baggaley and others of 10 studies aimed at calculating the risk of HIV transmission through oral sex found that only 4 of the studies reported a non-zero estimate of risk from unprotected oral intercourse. For this reason, the CDC describes the chance of HIV transmission through oral sex as low.
Also Check: Does Cookie Johnson Have Hiv
How Can I Reduce My Risk Of Getting An Std
Sexual abstinence is the only way to eliminate any chance of getting an STD. But if you are sexually active, you can take the following steps to lower your risk for STDs, including HIV.
Choose less risky sexual behaviors.
- Reduce the number of people you have sex with.
- Don’t drink alcohol or use drugs before and during sex.
Use condoms correctly every time you have sex.
- Visit this website from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to learn how to use condoms correctly.
Reducing The Risk From Oral Sex
The risk from unprotected oral sex with someone with a detectable viral load increases if you have:
- a throat infection
- damage to the lining of the mouth or throat
- had recent dental work or your gums bleed a lot.
Avoid performing oral sex without protection on someone with a detectable viral load while you have any of the above.
Dont floss or brush teeth before oral sex . Regular check-ups for STIs will pick up infections in your throat.
Remember that other STIs can also be passed on through oral sex, including herpes, gonorrhoea, chlamydia and syphilis.
Don’t Miss: Does Nba Youngboy Have Herpies
What Can You Do To Prevent Getting Stis
If you have HIV, the best thing you can do to stay healthy is to take HIV medicine daily as prescribed and get and keep an undetectable viral loada level so low that a lab test cant detect it.
But even if you are on ART and your viral load is undetectable, it will not prevent you from getting other STIs, such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, or syphilis.
The only 100% effective way to avoid getting other STIs is to not have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. If you are sexually active, you can do the following things to lower your chances of getting other STIs:
- Reduce the number of people you have sex with.
- Dont drink alcohol or use drugs before and during sex.
Use condoms correctly every time you have sex.
- Use a new condom for every act of vaginal, anal, and oral sex throughout the entire sex act .
Condoms are highly effective in preventing STIs, but not foolproof. Read this fact sheet from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how to use condoms correctly.
Why Does Having An Std Put Me More At Risk For Getting Hiv
If you get an STD, you are more likely to get HIV than someone who is STD-free. This is because the same behaviors and circumstances that may put you at risk for getting an STD also can put you at greater risk for getting HIV. In addition, having a sore or break in the skin from an STD may allow HIV to more easily enter your body. If you are sexually active, get tested for STDs and HIV regularly, even if you dont have symptoms.
Read Also: Does Hiv Cause Hair Loss
How Hiv Infects The Body
HIV infects the immune system, causing progressive damage and eventually making it unable to fight off infections.
The virus attaches itself to immune system cells called CD4 lymphocyte cells, which protect the body against various bacteria, viruses and other germs.
Once attached, it enters the CD4 cells and uses it to make thousands of copies of itself. These copies then leave the CD4 cells, killing them in the process.
This process continues until eventually the number of CD4 cells, also called your CD4 count, drops so low that your immune system stops working.
This process may take up to 10 years, during which time you’ll feel and appear well.
Page last reviewed: 22 April 2021 Next review due: 22 April 2024
Chlamydia And Gonorrhea Responsible For 10% Of New Hiv Infections Among Msm According To New Study
royaltystockphoto via
A new study published January 19 in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases estimates that 10% of new HIV cases among men who have sex with men are caused by existing gonorrhea or chlamydia infections. While the number of new HIV cases among MSM has remained fairly stable, sexually transmitted infections are at an all-time high and threaten to make HIV prevention harder.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are the two most common reportable STIs in the United States, and the rates are rising among men. In 2017, there were 363.1 cases of chlamydia per 100,000 men. This represents a 39% increase from just four years earlier in 2013. The gonorrhea rate among men rose even more during that same time period, from 108.7 to 202.5 cases per 100,000 men. Data suggest that the incidence of these and other STIs is higher in MSM than in men who have sex only with women.
HIV diagnoses have fallen among injection drug users and heterosexuals since 2012. They have also fallen among white gay and bisexual men but have remained stable among African-American gay and bisexual men, while increasing among Latino gay and bisexual men. Overall, the HIV rates remain unchanged among MSM.
For this study, researchers used agent-based modeling that took all of these factors into account. The behavioral variables in the model, such as specific sexual behaviors and frequency of condom use, were based on data collected for a study of sexual networks in Atlanta, Georgia.
Recommended Reading: Does Nba Youngboy Have Hiv