If you need to get checked for STIs, is there an age limit? Do your parents have to know?

In California, anyone age 12 years or older can get a medical check-up that is completely private and their parents do not need to know. However, if you use insurance, your parents may see the insurance bill. Planned Parenthood and most public clinics provide services to young patients and can bill you privately or provide care for free to protect your privacy.

If I have sex without a condom and get an STI, how long does it take for an STI test to turn positive?

The amount of time it takes your body to test positive for an STI depends on the type of STI. STIs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomoniasis can show up in a few days after exposure while infections like syphilis, herpes or HIV, depending on the test, can take at least 7 days and often longer. Gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis are detected with a swab or urine test that measures the presence of the actual germ. Syphilis and herpes can be detected from the fluid in a sore when there is a sore present. There are also blood tests for syphilis and herpes.

A sex partner just told me that they were diagnosed with an STI. I feel fine, so I am pretty sure they didn't get it from me. They want me to get tested anyway. Do I need to?

That's great that your partner was able to share this with you - they must care about your health as well as their own.  Many STIs are asymptomatic which means you can have one and not know it.  Even if you feel ok, the STI could be causing inflammation and problems for your body, and you could potentially give it to someone else without knowing it. Therefore its super important that you get tested. There are a bunch of different STIs, so if you can find out from your partner what they have, that will help your medical provider take the best care of you.

I was at a bathhouse a few days ago and gave blow jobs to a bunch of different guys. I did not have any anal sex. If I picked something up, how long will it take until I show symptoms? What STIs should I be worried about?

Giving head (i.e. performing oral sex, giving a blow job) can put you at risk for chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis and possibly HPV. Getting HIV from giving head is extremely rare. 

I was recently diagnosed with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). I took some antibiotics and my symptoms went away, but they came back about 2 weeks later. What should I do?

Most people who get repeat infections get them from untreated partners so it's really important to make sure your partners are also treated. That said, NGU can be challenging because sometimes the medical provider is unable to determine exactly what bug (i.e bacteria, virus or parasite) is causing it.  If you have not yet been tested for mycoplasma genitalium, you could ask your provider if they could order this test for you.

I was recently diagnosed with non-gonococcal urethritis and I'm unclear about what causes it. Help!

Urethritis means inflammation of the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder through the penis out of the body).  Symptoms of urethritis include discharge from the penis and pain or discomfort with urination.  The most common sexually transmitted infections to cause urethritis in men are gonorrhea and chlamydia.  When a man has symptoms of urethritis but has negative tests for gonorrhea and chlamydia, it is called NGU (non-gonoccocal urethritis) or NSU (non-specific urethritis).  NGU can be caused by infections such as

I am a gay man and just got diagnosed with anal warts, does this mean I'm at risk for anal cancer? Should I get an anal pap smear?

While anal warts themselves are unlikely to develop into anal cancer, people who have had anal warts are more likely to get anal cancer. This is because people who are infected with HPV subtypes that cause anal and genital warts are also more likely to be infected with HPV subtypes that cause anal cancer.

Infection with HPV is common, and in most cases the body can clear the infection on its own, but in some people the infection doesn't go away and becomes chronic. Chronic infection, especially with high-risk HPV types, can cause certain cancers over time, including anal cancer.

My boyfriend has a history of genital warts (on his penis) but he doesn't have any now. If I give him a blow job, could I get HPV in my throat, and if so, what symptoms would it cause?

It is possible to spread HPV from the penis to the throat during oral sex, but it is rare.

As for ways to protect yourself, condoms can decrease the risk of HPV transmission. There is also an excellent vaccine that protects against 9 of the most common strains of HPV -including 4 high-risk strains and 5 strains that can cause warts. Its recommended that all men and women <26 receive this vaccine.

I used to take valacyclovir to prevent herpes outbreaks but my new insurance doesn't cover it; I have to switch to acyclovir. Is there a difference?

Acyclovir (Zovirax) and valacyclovir (Valtrex) are very similar medications that differ mainly in how often one has to take the medication. They are both antiviral medications that are proven safe and effective in preventing herpes outbreaks. Both medications also help prevent spreading herpes to other people.
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