What Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men Need to Know About Sexually Transmitted Diseases

If you choose to have sex, you need to know how to protect yourself against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). What are sexually transmitted diseases? Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are very common in the United States—half of all sexually active people will get an STD by age 25. These diseases can be passed from one person to another through intimate physical contact and sexual activity. Am I at risk for STDs? While anyone who has sex can get an STD, sexually active gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are at greater risk. In addition to having higher rates of syphilis, more than half of all new HIV infections occur among MSM. Many factors contribute to the higher rates of STDs among MSM: • Higher rates of HIV and STDs among MSM increase a person’s risk of coming into contact with an infected partner and becoming infected themselves. • Certain behaviors- such as not using condoms regularly and having anal sex- increase STD risk. • Homophobia, stigma, and discrimination can negatively influence the health of gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men. How are STDs spread? STDs are spread through sexual contact with someone who has an STD. Sexual contact includes oral, anal, and vaginal sex, as well as genital skin-to-skin contact. Some STDs—like HIV, chlamydia and gonorrhea—are spread through sexual fluids, like semen. Other STDs, including HIV and hepatitis B, are also spread through blood. Genital herpes, syphilis, and human papillomavirus (HPV) are most often spread through genital skin-to-skin contact. How will I know if I have an STD? Most STDs have no signs or symptoms, so you (or your partner) could be infected and not know it. The only way to know your STD status is to get tested (you can search for a clinic a