# How do you contract STD's if you're healthy?



## monokitty (Jan 26, 2002)

From what I've read and been taught, society as a whole is bent on the fact that even if you're perfectly healthy - and so is your partner (with no previous partners) - that you're still at risk of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases if you fail to use protection. If this fact is actually indeed true, then where does the STD come from, out of no where?


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## ShawnKing (Mar 21, 2005)

Lars said:


> From what I've read and been taught, society as a whole is bent on the fact that even if you're perfectly healthy - and so is your partner (with no previous partners) - that you're still at risk of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases if you fail to use protection.


Who has told you that? It's not true. Two virgins cannot give or receive, from each other, an STD.


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

I think it can happen in America where the only accepted contraceptive device is abstinence. I think you are entitled to a little silver ring which is the world's most powerful STD repelling device. 

About the only thing that two virgins could pass each other, would be a yeast infection.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Boy, do the ads above the thread ever take their lead from the thread subject line.

Above this thread the ads were:

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Think you have an STD?
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How about that?


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## Cameo (Aug 3, 2004)

I don't think the first post mentioned anything about virgins - just two healthy people. If both parties are clear and clean of any STD's how it is transmitted if they are faithful to each other? That, I believe, is the question.


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## Cameo (Aug 3, 2004)

Never mind - I reread the post - I missed the part about no previous partners.
Still, my question is valid as well.


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

I'm going to take a wild guess and suggest the answer is that a lot of people have a much fuzzier definition of "sex" than they did just a few years ago. (Thanks, Bill Clinton!) If you define someone who hasn't had genital-to-genital intercourse as a "virgin" and as "never having had any other partners" then your population is going to have STDs in it -- mostly transmitted via oral sex...er, I mean "oral play," because that's supposedly not "sex" anymore.


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## ArtistSeries (Nov 8, 2004)

Sinc they usually do except in my case - must be some kind of Karma

Human Papilloma Virus
How dangerous is HPV? The medical facts may surprise you!

Get Rid Of Herpes Fast
No More Outbreaks Within 48 Hours! All Natural Home Remedy Works Fast

Think you have an STD?
Get Answers on Genital Herpes Now Take a First Step for Your Health

Apple Studio Display
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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

I got 1 and 3 but also got a Genital Warts ad and an Apple iBook ad. How did they know?


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## iPetie (Nov 25, 2003)

ArtistSeries said:


> Sinc they usually do except in my case - must be some kind of Karma
> 
> Human Papilloma Virus
> How dangerous is HPV? The medical facts may surprise you!
> ...


Darn Pithhelmet, the fun I'm missing.
Seriously though, Can not Human Papilloma Virus be transmitted from a mother to a child during childbirth.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

iPetie said:


> Darn Pithhelmet, the fun I'm missing.
> Seriously though, Can not Human Papilloma Virus be transmitted from a mother to a child during childbirth.


Aw c'mon iPetie, pith off.

You're funnin' me, right?


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## iPetie (Nov 25, 2003)

SINC said:


> Aw c'mon iPetie, pith off.
> 
> You're funnin' me, right?
> 
> LD


LOL!


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## Gerbill (Jul 1, 2003)

iPetie said:


> Darn Pithhelmet, the fun I'm missing.
> Seriously though, Can not Human Papilloma Virus be transmitted from a mother to a child during childbirth.


You're darn tootin' it can! So can syphilis, AIDS, gonorrhoea, etc.

And, incidentally, genital herpes is caused by exactly the same virus as the little "cold sores" you get on your tongue, and it can be spread via oral sex.


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## iPetie (Nov 25, 2003)

Gerbill said:


> You're darn tootin' it can! So can syphilis, AIDS, gonorrhoea, etc.
> 
> And, incidentally, genital herpes is caused by exactly the same virus as the little "cold sores" you get on your tongue, and it can be spread via oral sex.


Glad you clarified that Gerbill. I was afraid Human Papilloma Virus was what you got if gored while running with the bulls.


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

But Lars original question involved two "healthy" individuals. Are we precluding the mother to child transfer or including it? Was Lars asking about the old "i got it from a toilet seat" excuse?


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## da_jonesy (Jun 26, 2003)

Lars said:


> From what I've read and been taught, society as a whole is bent on the fact that even if you're perfectly healthy - and so is your partner (with no previous partners) - that you're still at risk of contracting sexually-transmitted diseases if you fail to use protection. If this fact is actually indeed true, then where does the STD come from, out of no where?


I'll be honest... this is a goofy question IMHO. But I suppose it is technically possible, the most likely means being through donating blood, getting inoculated or any other procedure involving intravenous transmission(where the equipment is contaminated).

While not an expert, I would think that a hot-tub might a breeding place for some nasties. Who knows... this really is a "if a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around, does it make a sound." type question.

I suppose if there can be an immaculate conception that an immaculate infection is possible.


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## Gerbill (Jul 1, 2003)

To elaborate on the example I raised above - two partners who have never had sex with anyone else have oral sex with each other. The recipient gets genital herpes because the other partner had a "cold sore" on the tongue. Genital herpes is considered to be an STD, but the virus involved is the same as the extremely common oral herpes, which can, of course, be spread non-sexually. So, here's a case where one partner spreads an STD to the other, even though both are faithful.

This doesn't really relate to the original question, though. The idea that you can get a more serious form of STD without intercourse is a downright lie spread by religious conservatives in the US.


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## enaj (Aug 26, 2004)

I think a good question is WHERE DID THIS INFORMATION come from?

I have read some interesting articles that noted that some "State schools" are teaching "false sex education" to scare young people out of relationships. 
Sigh...that's what happens when your school are funded by corporations.


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## Wolfshead (Jul 17, 2003)

Gerbill's quite right about the herpes. Also, it is, in theory, possible to catch it from a toilet seat (see, your mother was right after all) as the herpes virus has been proved to live up to 72 hours on a toilet seat. Of course, I'm not suggesting that anyone use that one as an excuse. You can also, again in theory, catch syphillis from contact with a person's skin. At one stage of the disease it can mimic facial acne and you could, possibly, catch it that way.

You can certainly contract genital warts without vaginal penetration.

I think the jury's still out on whether you can catch AIDS through oral sex?


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## ShawnKing (Mar 21, 2005)

Cameo said:


> Never mind - I reread the post - I missed the part about no previous partners.
> Still, my question is valid as well.


So was my answer - they can't.


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

Yes, potentially you could catch Aids from oral sex (where is usedtobejwoodget when you need him) but it would have to be unprotected and the likelihood would be increased if there were blood involved, such as gum disease, small cuts in the mouth, coupled with sores, cuts, in the genital area. We've gone way beyond healthy and hygenic at this point though.


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## used to be jwoodget (Aug 22, 2002)

It's *all* relative risk. There are rarer examples of transmission of HIV, etc. via non-sexual contacts or needle sticks but getting an infection depends on several factors such as viral exposure (or load), status of your immune system, complicating factors such as open wounds, etc. There are also genetic determinants since some people are naturally resistant to some of these agents. The data are also complicated by the difficulty in tracing transmission vectors. Someone may swear they are a virgin because of religious or other pressures when they are, in fact, not. What's the MD to do? Tell them they are lying?

Here's a pretty good (read non-biased or patronizing) series of facts on HIV transmission including a list of means by which the virus cannot be spread.

In answer to the first post, there are many ways to contract a variety of STDs through non-sexual contact. Most involve blood exchange such as through sharing needles (or accidental pricks) or very poor hygiene. However, these bugs are most effectively spread through sexual contact. Proper use of condoms reduces the risk substantially. However, hot tubs, swimming pools, etc. are not swarming with viable STDs although you should obviously not immerse damaged skin into water or walk around in bare feet if you have an open blister as there are trillions of bugs in the environment just waiting for an opportunity to invade. There are also many other viruses and bacteria (other than common STDs) that normally spread through non-sexual contact including some variants of Herpes, Hepatitis, Staph aureus and, of course, corona (cold) viruses and influenza viruses.

If you are looking for something to really worry about, read up on avian flu......


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

There seems to be a rather active and heated discussion going on in a different thread about STV's right now.

Gratuitous Applesauce seems to be all for them...several others aren't so sure. I'm just hoping there's a vaccine in the works.


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