The only surefire way to avoid getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) is to abstain from sex�oral, vaginal, and anal.

While different STIs are spread in different ways, most are spread through skin-to-skin genital contact and exchanging fluids from the mouth and genitals. This means that touching above the waist with clothes on is pretty safe. But just about every other kind of close sexual contact with an infected partner carries some risk of getting an STI.

So, if you decide to have sex, there are a few things you can do to reduce your chances of getting an STI. First, be careful when choosing your sexual partners. The more sexual partners you have, the greater your chances of getting an STI.

Secondly, get to know your partner well before having sex and talk to your partner about any previous sexual partners. Then make sure you both get tested for STIs before having oral, vaginal, or anal sex.

Even if you�re both declared infection-free, you should still use condoms�every single time you have sex. Partners sometimes cheat, even if you totally trust them.

You should also use condoms if you have oral sex. Flavored condoms are made specifically for oral sex and are available in most drugstores. Females should use a Sheer Glyde Dam to cover their vulva. A condom cut open and placed over the woman�s genitals is also an effective barrier, and some people use Saran Wrap for oral sex on a woman.

For more information on STIs, click here or check out these SEX, ETC. stories.