Most Common STD's

The Three Most Common STD's


To prevent these and other STDs, the SHPRC recommends employing the following safer choices.

Safer Choices:

1. Don’t engage in sexual activity with anyone except yourself. Employing this strategy alone carries the least risk, but is impractical for many people.
2. Have only one sexual partner, and get tested for sexually transmitted infections together before engaging in sexual activity.
3. Use barrier methods (condoms, dental dams) to prevent fluids (semen, vaginal fluid, blood) from contacting each other. These strategies can be used together for even greater levels of protection, or employed individually depending on the situation. These are “safer” choices because they aren’t risk free. HPV, herpes, and other STD’s can be transmitted from skin-to-skin contact, at times even when they are asymptomatic. For more information please refer to specific STD fact sheets, or ask an SHPRC counselor.

FACT: An estimated 1 of every 4 college students has a sexually transmitted disease.

The rate at Stanford is very nearly the same. This high rate of STDs highlights the fact that there is a continuing need for STD education and STD prevention resources on campus. The SHPRC aims to give students both the knowledge and the motivation to make safer sex choices.

Further, the prevalence of STDs on college campuses should also serve as a reminder that many of the people that we reach have, had, or will have an STD at some point in their lives. Therefore it is important to spread awareness without spreading stigma about STDs. Remember, except for HIV, all STDs can be cured or treated and managed. We should never attempt to scare someone into safer sex practices at the expense of alienating someone else. In fact, our goal is not to scare anyone, but rather through a realistic picture of risk, encourage people to practice safer choices.

Also, STD is sometimes written “STI” because of the fact that some sexually transmitted diseases are actually infections (curable) and are not chronic conditions like sexually transmitted disease implies.