Without Using Protection, What Are a Person's Chances of Having an STD?

If sexually active people don't use condoms, how likely are they to get an STD?

Unfortunately, very likely. People who have sex without using condoms are at high risk for getting an STD.

It doesn't matter how many people the person has had sex with. Even if someone has only had one sexual partner, that partner could have an infection. Of course, the chances of getting STDs are even higher if a person has unprotected sex with different partners.

Many people who have STDs do not have obvious signs or symptoms. Because of this, they may believe they're "clean" and tell partners there's no need to use a condom. But that's not safe. For example, about 6 out of 10 young people with HIV don't know they're infected. So they risk passing the virus, which causes AIDS, on to others.

Even getting treatment isn't a completely foolproof way to stop STDs from spreading. Some STDs (like trichomoniasis) can be treated so they go away, but other infections (like herpes or HPV) can stay in a person's body, even if that person has been treated. Plus, if someone has been treated for an STD like chlamydia and it goes away, that same person can still get re-infected if exposed to the STD another time.

Anyone who is planning to have sex, or who has had sex, should be tested for STDs. And always use condoms for protection — every time.