Can virgins have STIs?

Yes. Being a virgin usually means you haven’t had vaginal or anal sex, but many STIs don’t need penetration to spread. You can catch some STIs through:

• oral sex
• genital skin-to-skin contact, including rubbing genitals together
• sharing sex toys
• kissing, in some cases
• blood, for example from shared needles, razors or toothbrushes
• your mother, during pregnancy or birth

So the question isn’t really whether you are a virgin. It is whether you have had any contact that can pass on an infection.

People mean different things by “virgin”. For many, it means someone who hasn’t had vaginal or anal sex. For others, it means someone who hasn’t had any sexual contact at all. Some people still see themselves as virgins after oral sex, mutual masturbation or genital touching.

From an STI point of view, the label doesn’t matter. What matters is what kind of contact you have had. If you have had oral sex, genital contact or shared sex toys, you can catch an STI, whether or not you think of yourself as a virgin.

Oral sex

Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, Herpes and HPV can all be passed on through oral sex. Chlamydia is found in the throat less often than in the genitals. Read more in “I had unprotected oral sex. Should I get tested?”

Genital skin-to-skin contact

Herpes and HPV spread through skin-to-skin contact of the genital area, so penetration isn’t needed. Syphilis can spread through contact with a Syphilis sore, and pubic lice and scabies spread through close body contact.

Touching and fingering

HPV can spread through genital touching, and Herpes can be passed to the genitals on fingers. The NHS says Chlamydia can be spread through vaginal fluid or semen that gets onto your hands.

Sharing sex toys

The NHS lists sharing sex toys as a way that Chlamydia, Herpes, HPV, Trichomonas and HIV (from someone with a detectable viral load) can spread.

Kissing

Kissing can pass on HSV-1, the virus that usually causes cold sores, and research among gay and bisexual men suggests deep kissing may spread Gonorrhoea in the throat. Syphilis can spread through contact with a sore on the lips or in the mouth. HIV is not passed on through saliva, so you can’t get it from closed-mouth kissing. The CDC says HIV has very rarely been passed on through kissing when both partners had sores or bleeding gums.

Blood

Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV can spread through shared needles. Hepatitis B and C can also spread through shared razors and toothbrushes, and Hepatitis C through tattoos done in unregulated places. The risk from a blood transfusion in the UK is very low.

From mother to baby

Syphilis, HIV and Hepatitis B can pass from a mother to her baby during pregnancy or birth, so some people have an infection from birth that they didn’t catch through sex. Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea can also pass to a baby during birth, where they can cause infections such as eye infections, which are treated with antibiotics.

Yes. You can catch an STI the first time you have sex, including oral sex or genital contact. An infection doesn’t need repeated contact to spread, and many people who pass one on don’t know they have it.

Using a condom for vaginal, anal and oral sex, or a dental dam for oral sex on the vagina or anus, lowers your risk from the very first time. The HPV vaccine also helps protect against genital warts and cancers caused by HPV. Read more in “First time sex: a guide to staying safe”

Some things people worry about can’t give you an STI. You can’t catch:

• genital Herpes from towels, swimming pools, saunas or toilet seats
• Syphilis from toilet seats, doorknobs, swimming pools, bathtubs, shared clothing or cutlery
• HIV from hugging, shaking hands, sharing toilet seats, food, drinks, cups or cutlery

You may have read that Trichomonas can spread through shared bath water. This idea is mainly based on one study of schoolgirls in Zambia, where researchers suggested shared bath water might explain some infections, but the study did not prove it. UK guidance says that in adults, Trichomonas is almost always passed on through sex.

If you have never had any kind of sexual contact, your risk of an STI is very low. If you have had oral sex, genital contact or shared sex toys, or you have symptoms such as discharge, sores, lumps or pain, it is worth getting tested.

• Platinum Screen: our most comprehensive STI screen, which tests for 12 infections, from 28 days after possible exposure. You can book it at one of our clinics or order a Platinum Screen home test.
• Oral Screen home test: if you have only had oral sex. It checks your throat and genitals for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, and tests your blood for Syphilis, Herpes 1 and Herpes 2, from 14 days (28 days for Herpes).
• Blemish Screen: if you have a sore, blister or lump on or around your genitals, it tests a swab for Herpes 1, Herpes 2, HPV and Syphilis.

Cervical screening is offered to everyone with a cervix aged 25 to 64. If you have never had any sexual contact, your risk of cervical cancer is very low, but it isn’t zero, so you can still choose to have it. Read more in “Do you need a smear test if you are still a virgin?”

Can you get an STI from kissing?

Yes, some. Kissing can pass on HSV-1, the virus that usually causes cold sores, and deep kissing may spread Gonorrhoea in the throat. Syphilis can spread through contact with a sore in or around the mouth.

Can you get an STI from fingering or a hand job?

Yes, it is possible. HPV can spread through genital touching, Herpes can be passed on by fingers, and Chlamydia can spread through vaginal fluid or semen on the hands.

Can you be born with an STI?

Yes. Syphilis, HIV and Hepatitis B can pass from a mother to her baby during pregnancy or birth. Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea can also pass to a baby during birth and cause infections, such as eye infections, which are treated with antibiotics.

You don’t have to have had penetrative sex to catch an STI. Oral sex, genital contact, sharing sex toys and blood can all pass on infections, and some people are born with one.

If you have had any kind of sexual contact and are worried, get tested. Book a Platinum Screen at a clinic near you or order a home test kit. Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Not in the UK? Choose your country from the selector at the top of the page for local tests and prices.

This article originally appeared on 31 March 2023 and was last updated on 30 September 2026.

This article is general information and not a substitute for personal medical advice.

Sources

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