Can women transmit STIs to other women?

Yes. Women who have sex with women can pass on and get STIs. Some infections, such as Trichomonas, Herpes and HPV, can pass on through close genital contact and shared sex toys, and bacterial vaginosis (BV) is more common in women with female partners.

The risk of some STIs may be lower than in sex between men and women, but it isn’t low enough to ignore. US health guidance says women who have sex with women shouldn’t be assumed to be at low or no risk of STIs. Many have also had sex with men at some point.

Some infections can be passed on by hands, fingers and rubbing vulvas together. STIs can pass between women through:

• oral sex: Herpes can pass from a cold sore to the genitals, and Syphilis has probably been passed between women this way
• fingering and hands: touching your partner’s genitals and then your own can pass on infections such as Herpes
• rubbing genitals together (tribbing): Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, genital warts and Trichomonas can all pass on through genital contact or vaginal fluid
• sharing sex toys: vaginal fluid on a toy can pass on infections, including Chlamydia and Trichomonas

Oral sex carries much less risk than vaginal or anal sex. For some infections, such as Chlamydia on fingers, it isn’t known whether they spread this way. Read more in “Can you get an STI from a sex toy?”

Bacterial vaginosis (BV)

BV isn’t an STI, but sex can trigger it or pass it on, and it’s even more common in women with female partners. If your partner is a woman, she may also need treatment. Half of women with BV don’t have any symptoms. BV increases your risk of getting an STI, and in pregnancy there’s a small chance of complications, such as premature birth or miscarriage.

Trichomonas

Trichomonas can be passed between women, and US guidance says it’s more common in women who have sex with women than Chlamydia or Gonorrhoea. Symptoms include a yellow-green discharge that may be frothy or smell like fish, soreness or itching, and pain when peeing, but many people get no symptoms at all.

Herpes

In the UK, the Herpes simplex virus that causes cold sores (HSV-1) is now the most common cause of genital Herpes. It can pass on if a cold sore touches your genitals, on fingers, and through sex toys, even when there are no visible sores.

HPV and genital warts

Most people get some type of HPV in their life. It passes on through skin-to-skin contact of the genital area, including rubbing vulvas together, so you don’t need penetrative sex to get it. Some types cause genital warts, and others can cause cervical cancer.

Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea

Both can be passed between women through shared sex toys, hands and rubbing vulvas together. Most people with Chlamydia don’t have symptoms, and not everyone with Gonorrhoea gets them. Without treatment, both can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which can lead to infertility.

Syphilis

In its early stages, Syphilis is very infectious and can be passed on by close skin contact during sex. The first sign is usually a painless sore. In England, 48 lesbian women were diagnosed with infectious Syphilis in 2025.

HIV

HIV passed on through sex between women is rare, but it has happened, and sharing sex toys with someone who has a detectable viral load can pass it on. Someone on effective treatment with an undetectable viral load can’t pass HIV on. Read more in “How long can an STI stay on a sex toy?”

Yes. The NHS says that if you have a cervix and have had any kind of sexual contact, with a man or a woman, you could get cervical cancer. Lesbian and bisexual women are still at risk, and so are women who’ve had the HPV vaccine, as it doesn’t protect against every type of HPV.

In England, women aged 25 to 64 are invited for cervical screening every 5 years. The sample is checked for high-risk types of HPV first. Read more in “Do you need a smear test if you are still a virgin?”

UK sexual health advice suggests:

• using a new condom on sex toys for each partner, or when moving between different body openings, and washing toys between sessions
• using a dental dam for oral sex, and avoiding oral sex if either of you has cuts or sores in the mouth or on the lips
• washing your hands before and after sex
• wearing latex gloves for fisting

There’s little research on how well dental dams work, so they lower the risk rather than remove it. The HPV vaccine also protects against the types of HPV that cause most genital warts and cervical cancers, and it’s offered to all children aged 12 to 13 in England. Read more in “What is a dental dam and how is it used?”

UK guidelines suggest testing for STIs:

• at least once a year if you’re sexually active
• whenever you have a new partner
• if you notice symptoms, such as unusual discharge, sores, lumps, itching or pain when peeing
• if a partner tells you they have an STI

Many STIs have no symptoms, so testing is the only way to know. Some infections take time to show up on a test, so an early test may need repeating.

Better2Know offers:

• Platinum Screen: tests for 12 infections, including Gardnerella (a bacterium linked with BV), Trichomonas, Herpes 1 and 2, Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis and HIV, from 28 days after sex, with results in 3 days. You can book it at one of our clinics or order a home test kit.
• Comfort Screen: tests a urine sample for 8 infections, including Gardnerella, Trichomonas, Herpes 1 and 2, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, from 14 days after sex, with results in 2 days (3 days for the home test).
• Blemish Screen: if you have a lump, blister or sore, it tests a swab for HPV, Herpes 1, Herpes 2 and Syphilis, with results in 5 days.

If you test before 45 days, a negative HIV result needs a repeat test. A Syphilis test in the first 3 months after sex can miss the infection, so you may need a repeat test. Not sure which test you need? Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Is BV an STI?

No, but sex can trigger it or pass it on, including between women. If your partner is a woman, she may also need treatment. Read more in “What is Bacterial Vaginosis?”

Can you get an STI from fingering?

Yes, some infections can be passed on by hands and fingers, such as Herpes. Washing your hands before and after sex lowers the risk.

Do women who only have sex with women need STI tests?

Yes. Women can pass STIs to each other, and many infections have no symptoms, so regular testing is the only way to know.

Women can and do pass STIs to each other, through oral sex, fingering, genital rubbing and sex toys. Dams, gloves and condoms on toys lower the risk, and regular STI testing and cervical screening help you look after your sexual health.

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 4 August 2025 and was last updated on 3 October 2026.

Medical review. This article was medically reviewed by Dr Steve Chapman, Doctor with a wealth of clinical experience in the field of STIs, on 4 August 2025. It is general information and not a substitute for personal medical advice.

Sources

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