STDs in Lesbian and Bisexual Women: Myths, Risks, and the Importance of Testing

Many͏͏ lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women͏͏ believe͏͏ they͏͏ are͏͏ at͏͏ little͏͏ to͏͏ no͏͏ risk͏͏ for͏͏ sexually͏͏ transmitted͏͏ diseases͏͏ (STDs),͏͏ leading͏͏ to͏͏ lower͏͏ testing͏͏ rates͏͏ in͏͏ comparison͏͏ to͏͏ heterosexual͏͏ and͏͏ gay͏͏ male͏͏ populations.͏͏ However,͏͏ the͏͏ reality͏͏ is͏͏ that͏͏ STDs͏͏ can͏͏ and͏͏ do͏͏ spread͏͏ between͏͏ women,͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ lack͏͏ of͏͏ awareness͏͏ contributes͏͏ to͏͏ undiagnosed͏͏ infections. Despite͏͏ this,͏͏ a͏͏ significant͏͏ gap͏͏ remains͏͏ in͏͏ sexual͏͏ health͏͏ education͏͏ and͏͏ STD͏͏ prevention͏͏ tailored͏͏ for͏͏ lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women.͏͏ Myths͏͏ and͏͏ misinformation͏͏ persist,͏͏ preventing͏͏ many͏͏ from͏͏ getting͏͏ the͏͏ testing͏͏ and͏͏ care͏͏ they͏͏ need.͏͏ This͏͏ article͏͏ will͏͏ explore͏͏ the͏͏ most͏͏ common͏͏ STDs͏͏ affecting͏͏ lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women,͏͏ debunk͏͏ myths,͏͏ highlight͏͏ key͏͏ studies,͏͏ and͏͏ emphasize͏͏ the͏͏ importance͏͏ of͏͏ regular͏͏ testing—including͏͏ the͏͏ convenience͏͏ of͏͏ at-home͏͏ STD͏͏ test͏͏ kits.

19 February 2025

6 min read

1421

Are͏͏ Lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ Bisexual͏͏ Women͏͏ Really͏͏ at͏͏ Risk͏͏ for͏͏ STDs?

A͏͏ common͏͏ misconception͏͏ is͏͏ that͏͏ women͏͏ who͏͏ have͏͏ sex͏͏ with͏͏ women͏͏ (WSW)͏͏ are͏͏ at͏͏ little͏͏ to͏͏ no͏͏ risk͏͏ of͏͏ contracting͏͏ STDs.͏͏ However,͏͏ research͏͏ paints͏͏ a͏͏ different͏͏ picture:

A͏͏ 2007͏͏ study͏͏ published͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ American͏͏ Journal͏͏ of͏͏ Public͏͏ Health͏͏ found͏͏ that͏͏ lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women͏͏ were͏͏ just͏͏ as͏͏ likely—if͏͏ not͏͏ more͏͏ likely—to͏͏ contract͏͏ bacterial͏͏ STDs͏͏ like͏͏ bacterial͏͏ vaginosis͏͏ (BV)͏͏ and͏͏ chlamydia͏͏ as͏͏ heterosexual͏͏ women.
According͏͏ to͏͏ the͏͏ Centers͏͏ for͏͏ Disease͏͏ Control͏͏ and͏͏ Prevention͏͏ (CDC),͏͏ HPV͏͏ (human͏͏ papillomavirus)͏͏ is͏͏ a͏͏ serious͏͏ risk͏͏ for͏͏ women͏͏ who͏͏ have͏͏ sex͏͏ with͏͏ women,͏͏ yet͏͏ vaccination͏͏ and͏͏ screening͏͏ rates͏͏ among͏͏ WSW͏͏ remain͏͏ low.
The͏͏ National͏͏ LGBT͏͏ Cancer͏͏ Network͏͏ highlights͏͏ that͏͏ lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women͏͏ are͏͏ at͏͏ increased͏͏ risk͏͏ for͏͏ certain͏͏ infections͏͏ due͏͏ to͏͏ lower͏͏ testing͏͏ rates͏͏ and͏͏ higher͏͏ rates͏͏ of͏͏ smoking͏͏ and͏͏ alcohol͏͏ use,͏͏ which͏͏ can͏͏ weaken͏͏ immune͏͏ responses.

The͏͏ truth͏͏ is,͏͏ sexual͏͏ contact͏͏ between͏͏ women͏͏ can͏͏ transmit͏͏ infections,͏͏ especially͏͏ through͏͏ oral͏͏ sex,͏͏ sharing͏͏ sex͏͏ toys,͏͏ and͏͏ genital-to-genital͏͏ contact.͏͏ The͏͏ lack͏͏ of͏͏ protective͏͏ measures͏͏ often͏͏ taken͏͏ in͏͏ same-sex͏͏ relationships͏͏ further͏͏ increases͏͏ the͏͏ risk.

Common͏͏ STDs͏͏ Among͏͏ Lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ Bisexual͏͏ Women

While͏͏ any͏͏ sexually͏͏ active͏͏ person͏͏ is͏͏ at͏͏ risk͏͏ for͏͏ STDs,͏͏ some͏͏ infections͏͏ are͏͏ more͏͏ commonly͏͏ reported͏͏ among͏͏ lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women.

Human͏͏ Papillomavirus͏͏ (HPV)

HPV͏͏ is͏͏ the͏͏ most͏͏ common͏͏ STI͏͏ among͏͏ women,͏͏ and͏͏ many͏͏ strains͏͏ can͏͏ cause͏͏ genital͏͏ warts͏͏ or͏͏ lead͏͏ to͏͏ cervical͏͏ cancer.
Transmission͏͏ can͏͏ occur͏͏ through͏͏ skin-to-skin͏͏ genital͏͏ contact,͏͏ oral͏͏ sex,͏͏ or͏͏ sharing͏͏ sex͏͏ toys.
Regular͏͏ Pap͏͏ smears͏͏ and͏͏ HPV͏͏ vaccines͏͏ are͏͏ critical͏͏ for͏͏ protection,͏͏ yet͏͏ many͏͏ WSW͏͏ skip͏͏ screenings͏͏ due͏͏ to͏͏ the͏͏ misconception͏͏ that͏͏ they͏͏ aren’t͏͏ necessary.

Bacterial͏͏ Vaginosis͏͏ (BV)

BV͏͏ is͏͏ not͏͏ classified͏͏ as͏͏ an͏͏ STD͏͏ but͏͏ is͏͏ more͏͏ common͏͏ among͏͏ women͏͏ who͏͏ have͏͏ sex͏͏ with͏͏ women͏͏ due͏͏ to͏͏ bacterial͏͏ imbalances.
A͏͏ 2015͏͏ study͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ Journal͏͏ of͏͏ Infectious͏͏ Diseases͏͏ found͏͏ that͏͏ lesbian͏͏ women͏͏ were͏͏ twice͏͏ as͏͏ likely͏͏ to͏͏ have͏͏ BV͏͏ as͏͏ heterosexual͏͏ women.

Chlamydia͏͏ &͏͏ Gonorrhea

These͏͏ bacterial͏͏ infections͏͏ can͏͏ be͏͏ transmitted͏͏ through͏͏ oral͏͏ sex,͏͏ sharing͏͏ sex͏͏ toys,͏͏ or͏͏ genital-to-genital͏͏ contact.
Many͏͏ cases͏͏ are͏͏ asymptomatic,͏͏ meaning͏͏ regular͏͏ testing͏͏ is͏͏ the͏͏ only͏͏ way͏͏ to͏͏ detect͏͏ them.

Herpes͏͏ (HSV-1͏͏ &͏͏ HSV-2)

Herpes͏͏ is͏͏ spread͏͏ through͏͏ oral,͏͏ genital,͏͏ and͏͏ skin-to-skin͏͏ contact.
Oral͏͏ herpes͏͏ (HSV-1)͏͏ is͏͏ easily͏͏ passed͏͏ through͏͏ kissing͏͏ and͏͏ oral͏͏ sex,͏͏ and͏͏ it͏͏ can͏͏ lead͏͏ to͏͏ genital͏͏ infections.

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Trichomoniasis

A͏͏ parasitic͏͏ infection͏͏ that͏͏ often͏͏ goes͏͏ undiagnosed,͏͏ trichomoniasis͏͏ can͏͏ cause͏͏ vaginal͏͏ irritation,͏͏ discharge,͏͏ and͏͏ discomfort.
Studies͏͏ show͏͏ that͏͏ it͏͏ can͏͏ be͏͏ spread͏͏ between͏͏ female͏͏ partners͏͏ through͏͏ genital͏͏ contact.
With͏͏ at-home͏͏ STD͏͏ test͏͏ kits,͏͏ testing͏͏ for͏͏ many͏͏ of͏͏ these͏͏ infections͏͏ has͏͏ never͏͏ been͏͏ easier.͏͏ Discreet͏͏ and͏͏ convenient,͏͏ at-home͏͏ tests͏͏ allow͏͏ individuals͏͏ to͏͏ take͏͏ charge͏͏ of͏͏ their͏͏ sexual͏͏ health͏͏ without͏͏ clinic͏͏ visits.

Debunking͏͏ Myths͏͏ About͏͏ STD͏͏ Risk͏͏ in͏͏ Lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ Bisexual͏͏ Women

Many͏͏ lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women͏͏ avoid͏͏ testing͏͏ because͏͏ they͏͏ believe͏͏ in͏͏ false͏͏ myths͏͏ about͏͏ their͏͏ risk.͏͏ Here͏͏ are͏͏ some͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ most͏͏ common:

Myth͏͏ #1:͏͏ “Lesbian͏͏ sex͏͏ is͏͏ safe͏͏ sex”
- Reality:͏͏ Any͏͏ skin-to-skin,͏͏ oral,͏͏ or͏͏ genital͏͏ contact͏͏ carries͏͏ a͏͏ risk͏͏ of͏͏ STD͏͏ transmission.͏͏ The͏͏ idea͏͏ that͏͏ WSW͏͏ relationships͏͏ are͏͏ risk-free͏͏ leads͏͏ to͏͏ lower͏͏ testing͏͏ rates͏͏ and͏͏ delayed͏͏ diagnoses.
Myth͏͏ #2:͏͏ “Lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women͏͏ don’t͏͏ need͏͏ Pap͏͏ smears”
- Reality:͏͏ HPV͏͏ doesn’t͏͏ care͏͏ about͏͏ sexual͏͏ orientation.͏͏ Any͏͏ woman͏͏ with͏͏ a͏͏ cervix͏͏ should͏͏ get͏͏ regular͏͏ Pap͏͏ smears͏͏ to͏͏ screen͏͏ for͏͏ HPV-related͏͏ cervical͏͏ cancer.
Myth͏͏ #3:͏͏ “You͏͏ can’t͏͏ spread͏͏ STDs͏͏ without͏͏ penetration”
- Reality:͏͏ Many͏͏ STDs,͏͏ including͏͏ HPV,͏͏ herpes,͏͏ and͏͏ trichomoniasis,͏͏ spread͏͏ through͏͏ skin͏͏ contact,͏͏ oral͏͏ sex,͏͏ and͏͏ shared͏͏ sex͏͏ toys—no͏͏ penetration͏͏ required.
Myth͏͏ #4:͏͏ “If͏͏ I͏͏ don’t͏͏ have͏͏ symptoms,͏͏ I͏͏ don’t͏͏ have͏͏ an͏͏ STD”
- Reality:͏͏ Many͏͏ STDs͏͏ are͏͏ asymptomatic,͏͏ meaning͏͏ the͏͏ only͏͏ way͏͏ to͏͏ know͏͏ is͏͏ to͏͏ get͏͏ tested͏͏ regularly.

With͏͏ more͏͏ accessible͏͏ testing͏͏ options,͏͏ including͏͏ at-home͏͏ STD͏͏ kits,͏͏ lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women͏͏ can͏͏ take͏͏ proactive͏͏ steps͏͏ toward͏͏ their͏͏ health͏͏ without͏͏ falling͏͏ for͏͏ these͏͏ myths.

How͏͏ to͏͏ Stay͏͏ Safe:͏͏ STD͏͏ Prevention͏͏ &͏͏ Testing

While͏͏ lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women͏͏ face͏͏ barriers͏͏ to͏͏ STD͏͏ education͏͏ and͏͏ care,͏͏ there͏͏ are͏͏ practical͏͏ steps͏͏ to͏͏ protect͏͏ their͏͏ sexual͏͏ health:

Get͏͏ Tested͏͏ Regularly: Testing͏͏ at͏͏ least͏͏ once͏͏ a͏͏ year͏͏ (or͏͏ more͏͏ often͏͏ with͏͏ multiple͏͏ partners)͏͏ is͏͏ recommended. Consider͏͏ at-home͏͏ STD͏͏ test͏͏ kits͏͏ for͏͏ convenience.
Use͏͏ Barriers͏͏ for͏͏ Oral͏͏ and͏͏ Genital͏͏ Contact: Dental͏͏ dams͏͏ and͏͏ latex-free͏͏ condoms͏͏ on͏͏ sex͏͏ toys͏͏ can͏͏ reduce͏͏ transmission͏͏ risks.
Don’t͏͏ Share͏͏ Sex͏͏ Toys͏͏ Without͏͏ Cleaning͏͏ Them: Use͏͏ condoms͏͏ on͏͏ toys͏͏ and͏͏ clean͏͏ them͏͏ thoroughly͏͏ after͏͏ use.
Stay͏͏ Vaccinated: HPV͏͏ and͏͏ Hepatitis͏͏ B͏͏ vaccines͏͏ are͏͏ crucial͏͏ for͏͏ long-term͏͏ protection.
Discuss͏͏ Testing͏͏ With͏͏ Partners: Open͏͏ conversations͏͏ before͏͏ sexual͏͏ contact͏͏ help͏͏ ensure͏͏ everyone͏͏ is͏͏ informed͏͏ and͏͏ protected.

FAQ

1.͏͏ Do͏͏ lesbians͏͏ really͏͏ need͏͏ STD͏͏ testing?

Yes.͏͏ STDs͏͏ can͏͏ spread͏͏ in͏͏ same-sex͏͏ relationships͏͏ through͏͏ oral͏͏ sex,͏͏ genital͏͏ contact,͏͏ and͏͏ sharing͏͏ sex͏͏ toys.

2.͏͏ How͏͏ often͏͏ should͏͏ lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women͏͏ get͏͏ tested?

At͏͏ least͏͏ once͏͏ a͏͏ year,͏͏ or͏͏ more͏͏ frequently͏͏ if͏͏ they͏͏ have͏͏ multiple͏͏ partners.

3.͏͏ What’s͏͏ the͏͏ best͏͏ way͏͏ to͏͏ test͏͏ for͏͏ STDs?

At-home͏͏ STD͏͏ test͏͏ kits͏͏ offer͏͏ a͏͏ discreet,͏͏ hassle-free͏͏ option͏͏ for͏͏ screening͏͏ from͏͏ home.

4.͏͏ Can͏͏ you͏͏ get͏͏ herpes͏͏ from͏͏ oral͏͏ sex?

Yes.͏͏ Oral͏͏ herpes͏͏ (HSV-1)͏͏ is͏͏ commonly͏͏ transmitted͏͏ through͏͏ oral͏͏ sex͏͏ and͏͏ can͏͏ cause͏͏ genital͏͏ herpes.

5.͏͏ Are͏͏ dental͏͏ dams͏͏ effective?

Yes.͏͏ Dental͏͏ dams͏͏ reduce͏͏ STD͏͏ transmission͏͏ during͏͏ oral͏͏ sex.

6.͏͏ Is͏͏ HPV͏͏ only͏͏ a͏͏ concern͏͏ for͏͏ straight͏͏ women?

No.͏͏ Lesbian͏͏ and͏͏ bisexual͏͏ women͏͏ are͏͏ at͏͏ risk͏͏ and͏͏ should͏͏ get͏͏ vaccinated͏͏ and͏͏ screened.

7.͏͏ What͏͏ are͏͏ the͏͏ symptoms͏͏ of͏͏ BV?

Unusual͏͏ discharge,͏͏ odor,͏͏ and͏͏ irritation,͏͏ but͏͏ many͏͏ cases͏͏ have͏͏ no͏͏ symptoms.

8.͏͏ Do͏͏ shared͏͏ sex͏͏ toys͏͏ really͏͏ spread͏͏ STDs?

Yes.͏͏ Uncleaned͏͏ sex͏͏ toys͏͏ can͏͏ transmit͏͏ STDs͏͏ between͏͏ partners.

9.͏͏ Where͏͏ can͏͏ I͏͏ get͏͏ an͏͏ STD͏͏ test?

Clinics͏͏ and͏͏ at-home͏͏ STD͏͏ test͏͏ kits͏͏ are͏͏ reliable͏͏ options.

10.͏͏ What͏͏ if͏͏ I͏͏ test͏͏ positive?

Seek͏͏ treatment͏͏ immediately—most͏͏ STDs͏͏ are͏͏ manageable͏͏ with͏͏ early͏͏ care.

Take Charge of Your Health

Lesbian and bisexual women are at risk for STDs, and the lack of awareness only increases that risk. Regular testing, safe sex practices, and education are key to protecting sexual health.

With the convenience of at-home STD test kits, taking control of your health has never been easier. Break the myths, spread awareness, and make STD testing a priority.