What are the Odds of Getting an STD from a One Night Stand?

What are the Odds of Getting an STD from a One Night Stand?

The stats don’t lie: millions of Americans currently have an STD. Hundreds of thousands of new STD cases are reported each year, and it’s likely that many more go unrecorded. In other words, STDs are extremely common. As such, this means that every sexual encounter carries at least some potential for STD transmission. What are the odds of getting an STD from a one night stand? This, unfortunately, is impossible to say. However, we can explore common STD risk factors and explain what you should do if you’re worried you might have an STD. Find out more here:

How STDs Spread

First, some good news. If your partner doesn’t have an STD, and you don’t have an STD, then STD transmission can’t occur. STDs don’t appear out of thin air.

Assuming you don’t know if your partner has an STD, then you could be at risk for contracting one yourself.

It’s important to remember that STDs can spread during oral, anal, or vaginal sex. What’s more, some STDs can spread through acts like kissing or rubbing against your partner’s skin.

Lastly, keep in mind that while condoms significantly reduce the risk of STD transmission, they are not 100% effective at doing so.

STD High-Risk Populations

No one is immune to the threat of STDs. Infections don’t discriminate based on race, religion, gender, or tax bracket. Still, some groups tend to have higher rates of STD transmission than the general population. A few of them include:

• People under the age of 25.
• People who have multiple sex partners at one time.
• Men who have sex with men.
• Minorities.
• People who share needles.

Identifying STD Signs & Symptoms

Contrary to popular belief, you probably won’t be able to tell if you contracted an STD after a one night stand. That’s because most STDs can be asymptomatic –– at the very least for a few weeks. And when STD symptoms do appear, they can be very mild, or they may appear similar to other common conditions like yeast infections or acne.

The truth is that an absence of symptoms does not indicate the absence of an STD. It is impossible to accurately diagnose STDs solely through a visual examination. You can’t tell if someone has an STD just by looking at them.

Protecting Your Wellness

Ideally, individuals should try and avoid potentially dangerous sexual encounters. Nevertheless, there are steps you can take after a one night stand that will protect you from STDs:

• Talk to your partner. This may be a very awkward conversation to have, but it can provide you with valuable information about your health.
• Abstain from further relations for the time being.
• Get tested as soon as possible.
• If necessary, get treated and follow treatment instructions to the letter.