Can you get STDs even if you’re a virgin?
Yes. There are many different beliefs about what losing one’s virginity means. Most people agree that women and men lose their virginity the first time they have penile-vaginal intercourse. Many people also believe that two women or two men can lose their virginity through oral or anal intercourse.
Many sexually transmitted infections can be passed through oral sex and anal sex as well as vaginal intercourse, and some infections can also be passed by skin-to-skin contact.
Unprotected oral sex puts both partners at risk for a number of sexually transmitted infections, whether they are giving or receiving genital stimulation. The ones most likely to be transmitted this way are gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes, and hepatitis B. Chlamydia and the human papilloma virus (HPV) are less likely to be transmitted by oral sex. HIV is rarely transmitted in this way.
Oral sex is safer sex than vaginal or anal intercourse. To further reduce risk, use a condom to cover the penis, or a Sheer Glyde dam, plastic wrap, or cut-open condom to cover the vulva or anus.
Latex and internal condoms reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections during vaginal and anal sex. They also provide good protection against pregnancy.
It’s possible for someone to carry an infection and not show any symptoms. That’s why many people unknowingly pass infections along to their partners.