How can you prevent STIs?
STI Prevention
You can prevent STIs by practicing safe sex with the help of protection, such as: condoms, dental dams, or female condoms. This prevents contact between the mucous membranes, body fluids, or blood.
Using a dental dam
You can use a dental dam during oral-vaginal sex (“eating out” or “going down”) or oral-anal sex (“rimming”). Dental dams are latex or polyurethane sheets used between the mouth and vagina or anus during oral sex, protecting direct contact between the mouth and genitals. Dental dams can be purchased or made by cutting a condom along the sides to make a rectangle shape out of the latex.
Using a condom
You can use a condom to prevent STI transmission during oral-penile sex or during vaginal or anal penetration. There are even condoms with added flavours designed specifically for oral sex.
Using a condom during vaginal and anal intercourse is the most effective way to prevent STI transmission. Using a condom also helps prevent pregnancy (just like other contraception methods). The condom must be worn correctly and must not tear or come off during sex to ensure protection. To ensure condoms are used effectively, always look up the best way to put on a condom, pay attention to the expiration date, use water-based lubricants, and replace the condom with a new one if the condom tears or comes off during sex.
What to do if the condom breaks or slips off?
Condoms that break or fall off increase the risk of pregnancy and STIs.
If a condom breaks during vaginal sex, you may consider taking emergency contraception to prevent pregnancy. Emergency contraception (like the morning-after-pill) can prevent unwanted pregnancy after unprotected sex or the condom breaks. It is important to take emergency contraception as soon as possible after sex, as some types work better the sooner you take them. Emergency contraception can be taken maximally 3-5 days after sex, depending on the specific medication. It can be purchased at most drugstores.
After anal sex, it is recommended to carefully rinse the anus on the outside with lukewarm water. Here too, it is strongly discouraged to rinse the anus internally due to an increased risk of damaging the rectal lining and contracting STIs.
The risk of STIs and HIV is greater if the condom has broken during sex. If you are concerned that you may have been exposed to HIV, you can contact your GP, an emergency clinic or hospital, or a sexual health clinic within 72 hours of having sex. They can assess whether you are eligible for post-exposure-prophylaxis (PEP), a treatment that can prevent the transmission of HIV after being exposed.
It is recommended to get tested for STIs at least two weeks after having sex. This is because it takes some time for tests to reliably detect an STI after an infection has occurred. When you can reliably test for STIs is also known as the window period.
Vaccination against STIs
HPV is a very common STI that can cause genital warts and certain cancers. Nearly everyone who is sexually active gets HPV at some point, and it can be transmitted even with condom use. There is a vaccine available that protects against the most high-risk forms of HPV, as well as the most common types that cause genital warts. Many countries offer the HPV vaccine to girls and boys free of charge. Since the vaccine is most effective if you have had no or little sex, the younger you are when vaccinated, the better you are protected against HPV. In the Netherlands, HPV vaccination is available for people aged 9 to 26. If you are outside this age group, speak to your doctor about whether vaccination is right for you.
HPV testing for women over 30 is also recommended to detect high-risk HPV infections before they cause cancer. This can be done through population health screening programs or private self-testing. Homed-IQ’s HPV Test For Women is a self-test that can be performed from home. This testing method is also used by governmental population screening programs for people who are uncomfortable performing a test at the doctor’s office.
Hepatitis B is an STI that can cause serious liver complications. The vaccine is free in the Netherlands for specific groups:
- Sex workers
- Children born after January 1, 2011
It is also possible to get vaccinated against Hepatitis B if your job carries a risk of exposure (e.g., healthcare, police) or if you require the vaccine to travel to a certain country. In this situation, you may have to pay for the vaccine.