STI Waiting Periods and Sexual Alternatives

STI diagnosis is not the end of your sex life

When it comes to STIs, treatment is essential, especially for curable STIs. There are four curable STIs, meaning that with proper medication, they can be cleared up and not have long-lasting impacts on your body or sex life. The four STIs are syphilis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomaniasis. After getting a positive STI for one of those four STIs, your health care provider will prescribe you medication.

Treating Curable STIs

If you are positive for syphilis, you will be prescribed penicillin or antibiotics. Penicillin was invented to cure syphilis. It is recommended to wait ten days after taking the medication to get back into sexual activity.

For chlamydia, there are two different antibiotic medication options, doxycycline and azithromycin. For doxycycline, you have to take a pill every day for a week, and azithromycin is a pill taken once a day for three days. Regardless of which antibiotic you take, it is still encouraged that you wait a week before engaging in sexual activity with a partner after you have completed the medication cycle.

For gonorrhea, you will have to receive antibiotics, which typically come in the form of an injection in the butt. There has been some resistance development of gonorrhea to just the shot, so the CDC also recommends an oral antibiotic. There is a recommendation to re-test for gonorrhea 7-10 days after treatment to ensure that it has cleared up and for you to engage in sexual activity. 

When it comes to trichomoniasis, treatment is either a megadose of an antibiotic (metronidazole) or multiple smaller doses of the medication. The waiting period for it to clear up is a week, and all partners involved should be tested again before engaging in sexual activity.

Barrier Methods

First and foremost, communication with your partner(s) about your current sexual health status is a crucial part of consent. Be honest with each other and ask the uncomfortable questions. Even if you have been together for any amount of time, some STIs do not have or show any symptoms, so they can go undetected for years. Show your partner you care about their health and yours by asking all parties to get tested. You can even make a fun date out of getting tested together by going out to lunch after or enjoying another fun activity.

If you or a partner does get a positive result, it is not the end of the world. Remember that there are curable STIs and Manageable STIs. Overall, the waiting period depending on the STI is between one or two weeks. So, what are you supposed to do when the mood hits? 

You can stock up on barriers like external and internal condoms, and dental dams. However, while highly effective, there is still a chance you could contract the STI because they can be spread through skin-to-skin contact and condoms don’t cover all genital skin. But, there are some ways to get intimate with partners without possibly retransmitting an STI. So here are three different ways to get personal.

Sensual Massages

A sensual massage is a great way to still get physical with a partner without having to stimulate genitals. Add in some massage oil to maximize the pleasure and experience. And if you enjoy some added stimulation, Slow Sex’s Warming Massage Oil offers the fun of temperature play without lighting a candle.

Dip Your Toes in Kink

Kink offers a variety of ways to engage with partners without necessarily getting sexually intimate. You can give impact play or bondage a go. Try spanking while partners are clothed, and then as you get more comfortable, you can remove layers or add tools, like the S&M Enchanted Heart Paddle, which is excellent for beginners. 

You could also try something that will bring you closer, like rope bondage. Learning to tie with a partner can be a highly intimate experience. The Toybag Guide to Basic Rope Bondage and How To Be Knotty are great beginner books. The Fifty Shades of Grey Restrain Me Bondage Rope works well for beginners and is a softer rope.

Dry Humping

Go back to the early days of sexual exploration and revisit dry humping, also known as outercourse, frottage, or dry sex. You can do this while both you and your partner are fully dressed. You can mount each other in different positions and grind to offer some stimulation. This option can lead to things getting hot and heavy so if you all don’t have the best self-control, maybe steer clear of this one.

Whether you choose to explore some of these options or others, know that a week will be gone in the blink of an eye, and you can use this time to build up the anticipation for when you and your partner(s) can do whatever your hearts desire. Throw in some sexting or sharing of social media posts of sex positions you would want to try to get you revved up for when you have the green light. 

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