Partner Risk Contribution

These are things about you and your choices that make you safer or put you more at risk of acquiring an STD including HIV.

Choices that put you at a Reduced Infection Risk

Choices that put you at a Greater Infection Risk
  • Having no other concurrent partners
  • Having had very few, or no, other partners in the past
  • Always practicing safer sex even in long term monogamous relationships
  • Being regularly screened for an infection
  • Being willing to discuss safer sex and infection testing before you have sex
  • Believing (or having a partner try and convince you) that safe sex can cause medical and other health problems and that the risk is better than using safety
  • Believing (or having a partner try and convince you) that condoms aren’t necessary
  • Using drugs or alcohol before sex
  • Having other sexual partners, particularly those who use drugs or alcohol
  • Having a partner tell you that because he/she has no symptoms he/she can’t have an infection
  • Only practicing safe sex for vaginal, and/or anal sex but not for oral sex
(Made possible by Elizabeth Boskey, PhD  | Reviewed by Susan Olender, MD, updated May 21, 2018)

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