THIS WON'T HELP
1. Douches. "They can alter levels of healthy bacteria and increase the risk of infection," warns Cosmo contributor Jennifer Ashton,M.D., an ob-gyn.
2. Soap. Sudsing around or inside your vagina — even with antibacterial soap — can cause skin reactions or disrupt healthy microbes.
3. Self-treatment. Don't borrow meds from a friend. Antibiotics can't treat viral infections like HPV, herpes, and HIV. Plus, misusing antibiotics fuels hard-to-treat superbugs.
4. A hot shower. Rinsing off may make you feel squeaky clean, but it can't prevent STIs after the fact.
THIS WILL HELP
1. Your Gyno. You may need a test or preventative medication. "If you don't know your partner's STI status, your MD may prescribe antibiotics to prevent chlamydia and gonorrhea or a prophylaxis to prevent HIV," says Dr. Ashton.
2. Plan B. Take emergency contraception (it's OTC at drugstores, or get an Rx for Ella from a doctor) right away to prevent unwanted pregnancy.
3. A symptom check. Call your doc if you have any unusual pain, bleeding, discharge, or itching.
4. Repeat testing. Some viruses and bacteria don't show up right away, so test again a few months after exposure.
This article was originally published as "The Cosmo Encyclopedia of STIs" in the November 2014 issue ofCosmopolitan. Click here to get the issue in the iTunes store!
