Find ways to prevent STIs and stay safe.

Practice abstinence.

The surest way avoid an STI is not to have Sex. This means not having vaginal, oral or anal sex. But that obviously is super unrealistic.

Get tested.

Many STIs don't have any symptoms, but they can still cause health problems. The only way to know for sure if you have an STI is to get tested. 

Talk to your partner.

Talk about your sex partner(s) about STIs and before having sex. It might be uncomfortable to start a conversation, but protecting your health is more important . 

Have fewer partners.

Again, unrealistic but Agree to have Sex with only one person who agrees to have sex with you. Make sure that you both get tested to know for sure that neither of you has an STI.

This is one of the most reliable way to avoid STIs. 

Use condoms.

Using a condom 'correctly' every time you have safe sex, can help you avoid STIs.

Condoms lessen the risk for all STIs. You still can get certain STIs like herpes or HPV from contact with your partner's skin, even when using a condom but they still help at a great extent to avoid many health issues.

Get vaccinated.

The most common STI can be prevented by a vaccine. The HPV vaccine is safe, affective and can help you avoid HPV related health problems like genital warts and some cancers. 

Use your own clothes and towels

It may seem harmless, but a towel can harbor lots of bacteria that grows in a damp, warm bathroom environment.

If you share a towel with someone who has an infection caused by bacteria, you'll be exposed to those invisible pathogens, which puts you at risk for getting the same infection.

If you test positive for an STI, remember getting an STI is not the end.

Many STIs are curable and all are treatable. If either you or your partner are infacted with an STI that can be cured, both of you need to start the treatment immediately to avoid getting re-infacted.