rhiannon777

It's possible for a guy to get checked, but the tests really aren't very reliable so I don't think most doctors offices even bother. Fortunately, the strains of HPV that can cause genital warts and cervical cancer that Gardasil does not protect against are relatively rare.

Yes, it is a gamble every time a person has sex, male OR female. That's something I try to impress upon teenagers when I speak to them...no matter how responsible you are, you are still taking a chance. Condoms won't protect fully against STDs that are transmitted by skin-to-skin contact, like HPV and herpes. Condoms can also break and tear, leaving you vulnerable to things like HIV. STD screening, sadly, is not a part of routine care, so often people will mistakenly think that since they see their doctor every year, they are being tested, but they aren't. And, of course, even if you request testing, there are things they can't really test for or don't test for because of the unreliability of the tests themselves.

It is ABSOLUTELY realistic for a couple to use condoms EVERY time. My boyfriend and I used condoms EVERY time we had sex until we had been dating a year and a half. It's really not hard at all, as long as you always keep some handy in your purse or wherever. After a year and a half, we made the decision to stop using condoms and both got extensive STD testing (I had been on birth control pills for a few years prior to that). Despite our carefulness, he still gave me an STD I hadn't even HEARD of before (and believe me, being in healthcare, I know pretty much every STD there is). Luckily, it was something that was treatable, but it just shows that no matter how responsible you are, there is still risk inherent to having sex!