There must be an exchange of body fluids in order to transmit most STIs such as gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, trichomoniasis, HIV, hepatitis.
Others like genital warts, herpes, scabies, and pubic lice can be transmitted by skin-to-skin contact and still others are not necessarily transmitted through sexual contact.
STIs cannot be caught through casual social contact such as shaking hands or hugging.
Modes
Modes of transmission include:
- Sexual transmission (genital-anal, genital-genital, oral-genital/anal)
- Skin-to-skin contact (i.e., kissing, non-penetrative sex, body rubbing)
- Mixture of infectious body fluids (blood, semen, vaginal secretions)
- Sharing of needles and other drug paraphernalia and needle stick injuries
- From a pregnant woman to her unborn fetus, or to infants during vaginal delivery or through breast milk
- Infestations (scabies and pubic lice) can also be transmitted through shared clothing, bedding, linens etc.
All information on this page has been reviewed by Options for Sexual Health's Director of Clinical Services, Danielle Chard RN, BSN.
