STDs are infections that people usually get by having sex with someone who has an STD. Some STDs can be treated and cured with antibiotic medicine. Others cannot be cured. But many of those can be treated to make them easier to live with.
It is very important to remember that most of the time you do NOT know if you are having sex with someone who has an STD. It has nothing to do with how "clean" someone is or how the person dresses and acts. Most people who get an STD, including HIV, do not know the person they are having sex with has one. This means anyone can get an STD and not know it.
That’s why getting tested is so important. Some STDs will not give you any signs that let you know you have them. You can walk around with an infection for many months and not know it but the infection is still hurting you. If left untreated for an extended period of time, some STDs can cause you to not be able to get pregnant or to get someone else pregnant. Protect yourself every time you have sex – any kind of sex, whether it’s oral, vaginal or anal. Some STDs can infect your mouth, throat or anus. The infection can spread to other parts of your body from these areas. Always use a condom. Remember hormonal methods of birth control only protect you from pregnancy, not STDs.