Can You Get an STD From Masturbating?

Can you get an STD from masturbating? Young people or individuals exploring different forms of sexual contact for the first time may feel concerned about the risk of STIs, especially given the wealth of misinformation online. It’s vital that sexually active individuals engage in safe sex practices, including during self-pleasure, but sexual health experts generally consider masturbation the safest sexual activity.

That said, if you’re already infected with an STI, it’s possible to transmit from one part of the body to another, such as from the genitals to the mouth. Likewise, engaging in mutual masturbation could, theoretically, present the risk of exposure.

Read on to learn more about masturbation and how to engage in sexual activities safely. 

Is Masturbation Safe?

Depending on the sexual education you’ve received, you may be wondering: Is masturbation safe? Can masturbation cause a yeast infection or other reproductive health complications?  

Statistically, the chances of masturbation causing an infection are very low, and there’s no clinical evidence to suggest that frequent masturbation affects fertility.

There’s a wealth of long-established evidence that reveals how masturbation is good for your health and can produce the following benefits:

• Masturbating can help you figure out what you enjoy sexually, making establishing likes and dislikes with a sexual partner much easier.
• For some, masturbation reduces stress and even improves sleep.
• Orgasms release endorphins in the brain, which can produce a natural pain-relieving effect.

Although it’s possible to contract an STD from sex toys or mutual masturbation, the risk of infection is low.

Myths

Many people have heard the old myth that you can contract an STD from a public toilet seat. Sadly, this and other equally untrue narratives about STDs continue to circulate, leading to unnecessary confusion.

Whether out of genuine ignorance or an attempt to deter masturbation in young people, some individuals claim that masturbation can have devastating effects, ranging from erectile dysfunction and infertility to blindness. Some even claim that frequent masturbation indicates sexual deviancy or abnormal behavior.

However, masturbation cannot cause blindness or sexual health problems like erectile dysfunction and infertility. Likewise, it’s been proven time and time again that masturbation is perfectly normal, even for teens and young people who are learning about their bodies and sexual feelings.

Masturbation is one of, if not the single safest sexual activity you can perform. However, skin-to-skin contact with sex partners or used sex toys could expose you to STDs. If you’re concerned about your sexual health for any reason, consider Rapid STD Testing’s 10-panel STD test for quick and comprehensive results.

Acquiring STDs Without Having Sex

Can you get an STD from masturbating? Generally, the answer is no. Self-pleasure is usually a safe sexual activity that poses minimal risk of STD contraction. However, masturbating with a sexual partner or partners, using unclean sex toys, and having other forms of non-penetrative sex can expose you to infection.

So, can you get an STD from sex toys? While a sex toy itself can’t “spread” STDs, if you use one after someone with an STD does, it’s possible for you to contract that STD. 

In some instances, even if you’ve cleaned the sex toy prior to use, some porous materials can still trap bacteria and expose you to infection. That’s why it’s generally safest to use sex toys made of nonporous materials, such as stainless steel or medical-grade silicone.

Mutual masturbation can result in non-sexually transmitted infections like bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections, although the risk is low. A vaginal infection like bacterial vaginosis (BV) is more likely to arise due to an imbalance of vaginal bacteria. 

Likewise, while poor hygiene following masturbation can result in urinary tract infections, you cannot contract this infection like an STD.

Site-specific STDs

But what about solo masturbation? If you’re not making skin-to-skin contact with another person, is it possible to contract STDs? 

An important thing to remember about STDs is that they don’t spread exclusively through direct contact with the genitals. Some STDs can infect other body parts, which means you can transmit an infection from one part of your body to another.

Site-specific STDs include the following:

• Herpes simplex virus
• Gonorrhea
• Chlamydia 
• Pubic lice
• Trichomoniasis
• Molluscum contagiosum

Other Ways To Get STDs

Most STDs spread through bodily fluids, such as semen, vaginal fluid, blood, or saliva. Even if you don’t engage in penetrative sex, other forms of physical contact can expose you to STDs. 

It’s important to remember that mutual masturbation with a sexual partner or partners that involves masturbating each other or an exchange of bodily fluids can result in the contraction of an STD. Likewise, performing oral sex can also expose you to infection.

Following mutual masturbation or non-penetrative sex, always be on the lookout for the following common symptoms:

• Sores or blisters 
• Burning sensation when urinating or defecating
• Foul-smelling or discolored vaginal discharge
• Swollen and sore throat

To protect yourself and your sexual partners from STDs, it’s important to get regularly tested. Rapid STD Testing offers same-day STD testing to make this process quick and convenient. 

Masturbating With STDs

Now that we’ve answered the question, “Can you get an STD from masturbating?” you may be curious whether you can masturbate once infected. For instance, can you masturbate if you have chlamydia or some other sexually transmitted disease?

The good news is that it’s completely safe to masturbate if you’re undergoing treatment for STDs. If you have an STD, you can prevent transmission to other body parts by washing your hands before and after masturbating, using lubricant instead of spit, and properly cleaning your sex toys before and after use.

When it comes to STDs like syphilis or herpes that can cause painful sores, it may be best to hold off on masturbating until the sores have healed to avoid irritating the infected area. And while it’s safe to masturbate during STD treatment, your doctor may urge you to avoid sexual contact with others until you’ve completed your antibiotics.

It’s also completely safe to masturbate if you’re experiencing a non-sexually transmitted infection like a UTI, a yeast infection, or BV. Just be aware that some forms of self-pleasure, like using an insertive sex toy, may cause irritation. 

In the future, remember that the best treatment for STDs is prevention. Practicing safe sex, being conscious of lubricant ingredients and sex toy materials, and getting regular STD testing can help protect your sexual health. 

Ordering a rapid STD test from Rapid STD Testing can help you stay up to date with your sexual health status and improve your safe sex practices.

Safer Sexual Pleasure

Masturbation and sex are normal, healthy parts of daily life. To protect yourself and your sexual partners from STDs, it’s important to practice safe sex and keep up with personal hygiene. 

Masturbating Safely

It’s not always possible to know you have an STD. To prevent the spread of STDs through skin-to-skin contact, practice the following risk reduction habits during mutual masturbation:

• You and your partner or partners should wash your hands before and after masturbating.
• Trim long nails to prevent genital abrasions.
• For extra protection, consider using gloves when masturbating a partner, switching to a new pair when touching yourself or another partner.
• Avoid touching your eyes during masturbation.

Practicing Safe Sex

“Safe sex” describes practices meant to protect the sexual health of you and your sexual partners by preventing the spread of STDs. You can practice safe sex in numerous ways, including but not limited to the following:

• Always use condoms for penetrative sex. Condoms are not 100% effective, as they can tear and don’t protect you from STDs that spread through skin-to-skin contact, but they’re still a highly effective method of STD prevention.
• Limit the number of sexual partners. Know that this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to limit your sexual partners to one person. Instead, it means limiting your sexual relationships to people you trust and can have honest conversations with about sexual histories. 
• Get vaccinated against STDs like HPV. Getting the HPV vaccination can reduce your risk of experiencing health complications associated with the virus later on.
• Get tested for STDs regularly. Knowing your status can help protect you and your sexual partners against the spread of STDs.

Take Control of Your Sexual Health With Rapid STD Testing

So, can you get an STD from masturbating? It’s highly unlikely. However, it’s still important to prioritize safety in all sexual encounters. This means taking preventative measures to reduce your risk of contracting STDs, being open with your sexual partners about your status, and receiving regular STD testing.

Take control of your sexual health today. Contact Rapid STD Testing at (866) 872-1888, or use our lab finder tool to locate a clinic near you.