STI Prevention Tips for College Students

Group of college students studying in library

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) affect people of all ages and backgrounds, including young people on college campuses. According to recent studies, 1 in 4 college students has an STI. Among young adults, the two most common STIs are gonorrhea and chlamydia.

The good news is that STIs are preventable, all can be treated or managed, and many are curable. Due to new prevention strategies and greater access to health information, college students are now better equipped to prevent the spread of STIs and change the impact of these common infections.

How to Lower Your Risk

The most reliable way to avoid STIs is to practice abstinence, which means not having vaginal, anal, or oral sex, and avoiding skin-to-skin genital touching. But if you choose to be sexually active, or if you are thinking of becoming sexually active, there are steps you can take to help protect your health and the health of your partner(s).

Avoid Risky Behaviors

Practicing safe sex is key to preventing STIs. This begins with knowing your partner well, which includes candidly discussing his or her sexual history. Certain sexual behaviors, such as engaging in sexual activities with multiple partners, significantly increase the risk of STIs. Therefore, you might consider practicing mutual monogamy, which means that you and your partner agree to be sexually active only with each other.

Use a Condom Every Time

A highly effective way to prevent the spread of STIs during sexual activity is to use a barrier method of protection, such as a latex condom, which can block the transmission of bodily fluids as well as some skin-to-skin genital contact. When used correctly and consistently, condoms can protect against most STIs as well as pregnancy. It is important to read the instructions on the package, check the expiration date, and store the condoms in a cool, dry place. A condom should be used in addition to other birth control methods, such as the pill, patch, ring, and IUD, all of which can prevent pregnancy but not STIs.

Get Tested

Many STIs—including gonorrhea and chlamydia—do not produce obvious symptoms, so it is possible to be infected and not even know it. Therefore, if you choose to be sexually active, you should be periodically tested for STIs.

In Tampa, FL, you can receive a convenient and discreet STI test at South Tampa Immediate Care. Our walk-in clinic is located at 602 S. Howard Ave., where we offer rapid STI testing for chlamydia and gonorrhea using the revolutionary binx health io Diagnostic System®, as well as reliable testing for herpes, hepatitis, syphilis, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with results back in three to five days.