Are women at greater risk for STDs than men?”

Tia
Tia
Aug 8, 2017 · 5 min read

You ask. Tia answers. #TiaTalkTuesday

When it comes to preventing unintended pregnancy, we know that women tend to bear the bulk of the responsibility. Even in the most equitable of relationships, where birth control is a joint decision or discussion between partners, at the end of the day, it’s on the uterus-bearing person to remember to take those BC pills on time, or get that IUD inserted.

As it turns out though, the gendered realities of sex go beyond pregnancy and impact STDs, pleasure and more. This #TiaTalkTuesday, we’re diving into STDs — that thing no one WANTS to talk about, but everyone NEEDS to talk about — by answering the top asked question:

The short answer is, yes.

The mere fact of having a vagina means you are disproportionately impacted by STDs compared to men. When you put this not-so-fun-fact in context of the CDC’s report that STDs are at an all-time high in the U.S. — with those between the ages of 15 and 24 acquiring half of all new STDs — it becomes apparent that young women are at more risk than ever.

While vaginas are amazing (cue reminder from our fave fangirl)…

…. there are some harsh realities that anyone with a vagina needs to be aware of to stay safe.

That’s why I’m here 😘

#1: Female anatomy puts women at greater risk for contracting STDs as compared to male anatomy.

Because the lining of the vagina is thinner and more delicate than the skin of a penis, it’s easier for bacteria and viruses to penetrate.

Also, the complex ecosystem that is the vagina just lends itself to bacteria (the good and the bad), which is why we also suffer from yeast infections, UTIs and the works.

#2: When it comes to symptoms and detection, the cards are NOT in women’s favor.

First off, many STDs — most notably, gonorrhea and chlamydia — can be “asymptomatic,” meaning they oftentimes don’t have any symptoms at all.

Second, when they do occur, it’s easy for women to confuse STD symptoms (think: funky discharge, burning or itching) for something else like a yeast infection or a UTI.

On the other hand, when men get these symptoms, they tend to know very quickly that something’s up.

#3: Untreated STDs can lead to “pelvic inflammatory disease” (also called PID if you’ve ever heard that term thrown around), which can result in infertility or ectopic pregnancy.

This is not something you want to mess around with. Fair or unfair, men don’t have to think about fertility like women do.

#4: Lastly, both the burden of *talking about* getting tested and actually *getting tested* falls primarily on women, too.

According to a recent survey by Cosmopolitan of 1,454 men and women between 18 and 35, 58% of women say they’ve been tested in the past year, and only 33% of men say the same. Men were also three times likelier than women to say they’ve never been tested.

While a majority of respondents said both partners are responsible for testing, 52% of women said they initiated a conversation about STI testing with their most recent partner, compared to only 27% of men.

So, what can you do about this?

While we’ve all got work to do to ensure that the fight for gender equality goes beyond the boardroom and into the bedroom, there are things you can do to protect yourself:

First and foremost, BE THAT PERSON who calls out the elephant in the room before things get too 🔥 hot and heavy 🔥 and kickstart the STD-status convo.

Don’t wait till after-the-fact, or fear being a buzzkill. Instead, have the conversation ahead of sex, in neutral territory, clothes on & sober. #TiaTip

I’ll take awkward over itchy any day! 🙈

Second, use a condom — especially with new male partners.

Don’t be this girl:

Consider adopting this mantra instead:

In all seriousness though, while birth control methods like IUDs are pros at preventing pregnancy, don’t forget that they do ZILCH when it comes to protecting you from STDs.

And if you’re having sex with a female, remember protection (a la dental dams) is just as important — STDs can spread via oral sex too.

Lastly, please (please 🙏) stay on top of your routine STD tests!

Given the asymptomatic nature of many STDs and the potential for serious, long-term implications, this is of utmost importance.

For realz tho — my team of women’s health experts recommends an STD test once a year, or with every new sex partner. If detected early, many STDs are easily treatable with antibiotics, so it’s v. worth it!

Confidently yours,

Tia 💕

To get personalized answers & more #AskTia goodness, click here to download the app for iPhone!

Tia is a personal, private chat-based assistant that you message with about birth control and sexual health. Made by a team of women’s health experts, Tia knows you, learns you, and is your go-to for all those “ugh!” , “oops…”, and “huh?” moments. On Tuesdays, we surface the top *anonymous* questions from the community and report back with the answer. Have a burning q you want us to tackle? Leave it in the comments below or email info@asktia.com.

Tia

Written by

Tia

The modern medical home for women of all genders — online and offline. www.asktia.com

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