Can You Get an STI Without Having Sex?

Many of us have heard urban legends about toilet seats being breeding grounds for STIs or mosquitos passing along HIV. Many of us have wondered if oral sex has different risks than penetrative sex when it comes to the spread of STIs.

But how likely are we really to contract an STI from things outside of penetrative sex? Well, the short answer is: it depends.

Can you get an STI from oral sex?

TLDR: Yes, you can get an STI like syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhoea, shigella, or mpox from oral sex.

When we talk about sex, especially among our LGBTIQ+ communities, we’re talking about more than just penetrative sex. For example, blow jobs, rimming, and eating out are pleasurable sexual acts that many people assume have a lower risk of spreading STIs.

STIs can live in the skin, fluids, and mucous membranes. This means that STIs can spread through swapping fluids with someone else, including during oral sex. Don’t freak out, though – not every STI spreads the same way, and not every touch, kiss, or lick holds the same risk. It depends entirely on the type of STI and area infected, which is why it’s so important to test regularly and discuss your sex life at a clinic like Thorne Harbour’s PRONTO!.

If you’re giving or getting head from someone (or many someones), you’re at risk of contracting an STI even if you’re not engaging in penetrative sex. Using dams or condoms, keeping up with your STI testing schedule, and encouraging your partners to do the same can help prevent STIs from spreading via oral sex.

Can you get an STI from skin-to-skin contact?

TLDR: Yes, you can get some STIs from skin-to-skin contact.

Although it’s less common, some STIs (including syphilis, herpes, and mpox) can spread through close contact - whether that’s grinding in the club, dry humping, or an intense kissing session. Mpox (monkeypox) in particular is known to spread through close skin-to-skin contact, especially if one person has rashes, blisters or sores.

When it comes to skin-to-skin contact, it’s harder to protect yourself with barriers like condoms. That’s why it’s important to get tested if you notice anything different on your body, like a rash or lesion that could be mpox. Getting tested not only protects yourself but also stops the disease from spreading.

Can you get an STI from a toilet seat?

TLDR: Experts agree that it’s essentially impossible to catch an STI from a toilet seat.

Uncleaned public toilet seats? Kind of gross. But that doesn’t mean that you’re going to catch an STI from using the toilet at the club or shopping centre.

The chances of picking up an STI from a toilet seat are extremely low – nearly impossible. Bacterial and viral STIs cannot live outside the human body for very long. For example, syphilis is impossible to contract from contact with a toilet seat.

Even if an STI were to somehow end up on a toilet seat, it almost certainly wouldn’t survive on the hard surface until the next person sits down. And if you sat on a toilet seat with an STI on it (remember, odds are that the seat is safe), the infection could only enter your body through an open wound.

Experts agree that it’s essentially impossible to catch an STI from a toilet seat. However, cleaning or covering a public toilet seat before use can ease your mind and make the experience a bit less upsetting.

Can you get an STI from mosquito bites?

TLDR: Mosquito bites are dangerous, but they can’t give you an STI.

Mosquito bites spread many diseases, making them some of the deadliest animals on the planet. For this reason, some people fear that they can get an STI from a mosquito bite, particularly HIV. However, this is impossible. While mosquitoes are responsible for the epidemic of illnesses such as malaria, they do not spread HIV or other STIs.

The body of a mosquito is very different from your body or mine. Mosquitoes are not able to act as hosts for HIV or other STIs, meaning the infections can’t live inside them and be passed along to their next bite victim.

How do you get tested for an STI?

If you’ve clicked on this article, you probably want to take charge of your sexual health and learn more about preventing STIs. The most effective way to stop STIs in their tracks is to get tested regularly and seek treatment quickly. We recommend getting tested every three months.

For Melburnians, both our PRONTO! site in Abbotsford and the Centre Clinic in St Kilda offer STI tests that are free for most people. For other Australians, Emen8’s Find a Service feature can show you your closest site for STI and HIV testing. Simply click ‘Find near me’ or type in your location, click ‘HIV and STI test,’ and search.