Apretude (cabotegravir) is an injectable form of HIV PrEP — pre-exposure prophylaxis — given as a shot every two months instead of a daily pill. It's for HIV-negative adults and adolescents at risk th
Yes, but only modestly and only for certain people. Large trials show male circumcision lowers a man's risk of getting HIV from vaginal sex and reduces some other STIs, but the effect is partial, does
Yes — Doxy-PEP and HIV PrEP can be taken together, and they're often used by the same people for the same reason: condomless sex. They work on completely separate threats. PrEP prevents HIV, while Dox
Doxy-PEP (doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis) is a single dose of the antibiotic doxycycline taken after sex to lower the risk of certain bacterial STIs. Because antibiotic use can drive resistance
Doxy-PEP—a single dose of doxycycline taken after sex—has strong evidence for preventing bacterial STIs in gay and bisexual men and transgender women, but the one major trial in cisgender women did no
PrEP doesn't protect you the moment you swallow the first pill. Daily oral PrEP reaches its maximum protection in about 7 days for receptive anal sex, and about 21 days for receptive vaginal sex and i
To prevent mpox, avoid close skin-to-skin contact with anyone who has a rash, get the two-dose JYNNEOS vaccine if you're at increased risk, and limit anonymous or multiple partners during outbreaks. C
Yes, you can start and stop PrEP around periods when your risk goes up — like a vacation, a new relationship, or a stretch of casual dating — as long as you time it right and check in with a clinician
To avoid STDs in a new relationship, use condoms every time until you've both been tested, get tested together and share the results, and only stop barriers once you know each other's status. Add tool
To clean sex toys and lower STD risk, wash nonporous toys (silicone, glass, stainless steel) with warm water and mild soap after every use, dry them fully, and store them separately. Cover any shared
Safer sex while trying to conceive comes down to one honest conversation before you stop using condoms: get tested together, share your real results, and decide together what protection to use until y
For lesbian and bisexual women, the single most effective STI prevention step is an open conversation with each partner about barriers, testing, and status — done before sex, framed as mutual care, an
U=U means Undetectable equals Untransmittable: a person living with HIV who takes antiretroviral therapy and keeps the virus at an undetectable level cannot pass HIV to a sexual partner. It's a preven
Yes — but only a couple of infections realistically spread through kissing, and the main ones are oral herpes (HSV) and, far less often, syphilis when a sore is present on the lips or mouth. Most STIs
Yes — you can still get an STI even when you use a condom correctly. Condoms cover the penis well, so they protect strongly against fluid-borne infections like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and HIV. But they
Yes. You can lower your HIV risk a lot without PrEP by stacking proven tools: condoms used correctly, regular HIV testing, treatment-as-prevention (U=U — a partner with an undetectable viral load won'
If you stop taking PrEP, the medicine clears from your body over days and your protection against HIV fades — you're no longer shielded once levels drop. Because PrEP works only while it's in your sys
If a condom breaks during sex, stop, withdraw, and clean up gently with water — don't douche or scrub. If HIV exposure is possible, call a clinic or ER about post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) right away
The best condom size is the one that fits snugly without pinching and stays put without rolling off — length covers from base to tip, and width matches your girth so the condom neither chokes nor slid
The hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all adults aged 19–59, and for adults 60 and older who have risk factors. The newer two-dose series (Heplisav-B) can be completed in about a month, while old
Spermicidal condoms don't prevent STDs any better than plain condoms — and the spermicide they use, nonoxynol-9 (N-9), can actually raise your HIV risk by irritating delicate genital tissue. A regular
Yes — testing after a new partner is one of the most reliable ways to know your status, because many STIs cause no symptoms and how you feel tells you nothing. A practical cadence is to test with each
Condoms break for a handful of preventable reasons: trapped air in the tip, oil-based lubricant breaking down the latex, the wrong fit, heat or age weakening the material, and putting one on after sex
The main difference between condom types is the material: latex and polyurethane both block the genital fluids that carry HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis, while lambskin (natural-membran
PrEP and PEP both prevent HIV, but timing is everything: PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is medicine HIV-negative people take before possible exposure on an ongoing basis, while PEP is the emergency o
STD risk varies sharply by activity. Receptive anal sex carries the highest per-act HIV risk — about 138 per 10,000 exposures — followed by insertive anal, receptive vaginal, then insertive vaginal se
To get PEP fast within 72 hours, go straight to an emergency room, urgent care, or any health care provider the same day — every hour matters and the clock starts at the moment of exposure, not when y
PrEP is for any HIV-negative person who has an ongoing chance of HIV exposure — through sex with partners whose status they don't know, with a partner living with HIV, or through sharing injection equ
Truvada and Descovy are both daily PrEP pills that prevent HIV, but the key difference is who they're approved for: Truvada covers anyone at risk through sex or injection drug use, while Descovy is ap
Used correctly and every single time, condoms are highly effective at preventing STDs spread through genital fluids — HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis. They offer less protection against
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) can cost you nothing out of pocket. Most insurance plans cover it with no copay, and for the uninsured, manufacturer programs, federal initiatives, and clinic-based ass
To talk to a partner about protection, pick a calm, private moment before things get physical and lead with your own plan instead of an accusation — say something like "I get tested between partners a
PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) is emergency HIV medicine you take after a possible exposure to stop the virus from establishing itself. You must start it within 72 hours of the exposure — and the soo
You can get PrEP from a primary care doctor, an STI or sexual-health clinic, a community health center, or an online telehealth service — many of which can prescribe within days. Every route starts wi
If you've just had unprotected sex and you're worried about HIV, the single most time-sensitive step is to ask a clinician about PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) — HIV medicine that can stop the virus
PrEP is highly effective at preventing HIV when taken as prescribed. Taken consistently, it cuts the risk of getting HIV from sex by about 99% CDC, Talk PrEP Together and from injection drug use by at
On-demand PrEP (2-1-1) is a way of taking oral PrEP pills around specific sex events instead of every day: two pills two to twenty-four hours before sex, one pill the next day, and one pill the day af
Internal condoms — the kind worn inside the vagina or anus, sometimes called "female" condoms — give women a barrier method they control, without needing a partner to put anything on. Used every time
PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is medicine that HIV-negative people take before possible exposure to keep HIV from taking hold. It comes as a daily pill or a long-acting shot. Taken as prescribed, it
The best lube for condoms is water-based or silicone-based — both are safe with latex and won't weaken it. Skip anything oil-based, like baby oil, lotion, petroleum jelly, or cooking oil, because oils
Most people on PrEP feel fine. The classic side effects are mild and short-lived: nausea, headache, stomach upset, or fatigue in the first few weeks as your body adjusts — usually fading on their own.
DoxyPEP is a single dose of the antibiotic doxycycline taken after sex to lower the risk of getting certain bacterial STIs. Standing for doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis, it targets bacterial inf
Dry, flaky, or scaly skin is rarely caused by an STI. Far more often it's everyday dry skin, eczema, or psoriasis. Two STIs can affect the skin — HIV (in advanced disease) and secondary syphilis (a ro
Yes — you can get an STD from oral sex. The most common are gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2), HPV, and, less often, HIV. Throat and mouth infections are frequently silent, so s
A female condom (also called an internal condom) is a soft pouch you insert into the vagina or anus before sex. It lines the canal so semen and genital fluids never touch your skin directly. Used corr
A dental dam is a thin square of latex you place over the vulva or anus during oral sex so your mouth never touches genital fluids or skin directly. To use one, smooth it over the area before any cont
To use a condom correctly every time, put a new one on the erect penis before any genital, oral, or anal contact, pinch the air from the tip as you unroll it all the way down, use only water- or silic
Used every time and the right way, condoms are a highly effective barrier method for preventing the sexual spread of HIV, and they cut the risk of gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and pregnancy C