Scarleteen

Hey all! I know that, ideally, you should know if your sexual partner has an STI but I’m worried about getting an STI from just kissing or touching. I think some STI’s can be transmitted via skin to skin contact or through bodily fluids, so wouldn’t saliva count as that? Like I’m not sure if I was at a party and wanted to make out with someone that I would ask their sexual history you know? If I planned on sleeping with them, yes but otherwise I think I’d probably not. Could I get STI’s from just kissing and touching???

Hi roxfox,

Good question! There are certain STIs that may be spread from person to person through skin-to-skin contact - HSV 1 and 2, HPV/genital warts, pubic lice, - and HSV 1 can also be spread through kissing/saliva as an oral infection.
(Check out Can I Get Pregnant, or Get or Pass On an STI From That? for a detailed breakdown).
But, this is a lot lower risk relative to something where sexual fluids are involved (like oral, anal, or vaginal sex). So if you just met someone at a party and you wanted to kiss and/or touch them with clothes on, your risk would be very little in terms of exposing yourself to STIs. (Although you can potentially catch a cold/flu/virus from exposure to someone else's saliva, most people tend to call that risk worth it!)

Thank you! I’ll be sure to read that article. That definetly makes me feel a lot more at ease

Great.

If you have questions or stuf you want to discuss b after reading the article, come on back.