How are these germs spread from person to person?
The germs live either directly on the skin or in body fluids such as semen, vaginal secretions and blood. When the germs on one body make contact with another body they may get transferred over to the other body. The basic way to protect yourself is to put a barrier or block between you and the germs. That is what a condom does. It is important to remember the STDs are not spread by casual contact. They are not spread by touching, coughing, shaking hands or sharing a glass with someone. These diseases are spread by direct contact with a sore or with contact with body fluids that contain the STD germs.
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Is it possible to be exposed to an STD and not get the disease?
Yes, In some cases a person may be exposed to the disease and not actually get the disease. There may not have been enough germs transferred to the other body or the person receiving the germs could have successfully fought them off before the germs were able to start the disease.
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Are STDs spread by public bathrooms?
No. STDs are not spread by use of bathrooms (unless one were having sex there). STDs are spread through having sex. In an extremely rare case, pubic lice (crabs) can fall onto a toilet seat and may get on a future user of that seat. Some people who still worry about sanitation in toilets can wipe the seat or line the seat with toilet paper.
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Are STDs spread by sharing clothes? What about washed clothes?
Again the only possible STDs that could possibly be spread by sharing clothes are crabs and scabies. Again this would be extremely uncommon and not usually a big worry. Washing clothes removes any of these little creatures.
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Can a person get more than one Sexually Transmitted Disease?
Yes, it is certainly possible to get more than one STD at one time. The most that I have ever seen in my career as an STD specialist was a man with five different diseases at one time.
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