Believe it or not, contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) can be as simple as shaking hands. That’s right, some infections can be transmitted in ways other than sexual contact. So how does one get an STD without having sex? Here’s the scoop…
1. HPV
Although HPV has become a buzzword of sorts over the last decade, a lot of people still don’t understand that you don’t have to be sexually active to catch it.
In fact, the human papillomavirus – which is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, mother to baby by pregnancy, labor, or nursing, and sex (of course) – comes in a variety of strains. HPV can cause genital warts and other precancerous lesions, reports the Mayo Clinic.
READ: The STD Black Women Don’t Talk About (But Should)
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To make matters worse, warts don’t have to be present for you to catch it since the virus can spread even if there isn’t an outbreak. Although there is no cure for the infection, a doctor can prescribe medication to get rid of the warts or use various techniques, like freezing or cutting them off. However, the disease may still sit dormant in your system and recur over time.
2. Molluscum Contagiosum
Molluscum contagiosum. Although it may sound like a Harry Potter spell, this skin infection resulting in round, firm, painless bumps is not a game. Spread by way of skin-to-skin contact, like handshakes and hugs, these bumps can multiply easily, resulting in panic.
