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About Mark Behar
Expertise
Almost any question or concern about sexually transmitted infections, abnormal Pap smears, anal cytology (anal "Pap smears"), gay men's health issues.
There is no such thing as “d/d free” or “clean” (free of infection), so why do so many of us deceive ourselves into thinking that some people are indeed totally free from a potentially infectious disease, like HIV, herpes, hepatitis, syphilis, chlamydia, warts, gonorrhea, etc., just because they say so? Clinical laboratory tests are not perfect, and having a “negative” or “nonreactive” test does not mean that a person is free from infection. Perhaps at the moment the test was taken, the person was uninfected; or, perhaps, the test wasn’t sensitive enough to detect presence of the infection. There is really no way that anyone can determine that they are truly “disease free,” and there are over a hundred of infectious conditions that can be spread without your knowing anything.
Rather than trying to “prescreen” or “serosort” a potential sex-mate with deceptive questions that are impossible to know by today’s technologies, a wiser option may be to consider everyone infected with something, and either use appropriate protective measures (“safer sex”), or accept the responsibility and conseqences of possibly “catching” something from someone who’s hotter than expected (pun intended!).
There is much research that supports the contention that an HIV positive person reliably taking HIV medications, and having an undetectable viral load, presents a lower risk for transmission of HIV than people who may think or say they are HIV negative, but are not. Food for thought!
Experience
Family Practice PA since 1981;
Volunteer Clinician for Brady East STD (BESTD) Clinic, Milwaukee, since 1977; answer STD questions submitted to their web site.
Professionally lectured at national and regional Physician Assistant and Nurse Practitioner conferences, and at national gay & lesbian health conferences on topics including HIV/AIDS, herpes, hepatitis, STDs, human papilloma virus (the cause of venereal warts), abnormal Pap smears, gay and lesbian health issues, among others.
Organizations
Distinguished Fellow, American Academy of Physician Assistants; Co-Founder, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Gay Physician Assistant Caucus of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, Inc.;
Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants;
Florida Academy of Physician Assistants;
American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP)
Publications
Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (JAPA)
Education/Credentials
Physician Assistant Certified, since 1982;
Masters in Physician Assistant Studies;
Colposcopy Recognition Award, American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP);
Awards and Honors
Colposcopy Recognition Award (CRA), from the American Association of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology
Past/Present Clients
Brady East STD Clinic, Milwaukee, WI
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You are here: Experts > Teens > Health for Teens > Sexually Transmitted Diseases > Virginity
Expert: Mark Behar
Date: 9/6/2008
Subject: Virginity
Question
Excluding AIDS/HIV, can virgin have an STD?
Answer
Hello Kate,
A virgin, by definition, is someone who hasn't had sex with another person. But what do we mean by "sex"? Penis into vagina? Penis into anus? Vagina to vagina? Mouth to penis or vagina? Hand contact to penis or vagina? With condoms or not?? Unfortunately, there are no easy answers, especially ones that everyone agrees upon!
Some STDs can be spread "vertically" from mother to baby. Gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, hepatitis, human papilloma virus (warts), herpes, as well as HIV/AIDS, and probably a few STDs I've neglected to mention, all can be spread this way. Some of these may not be detected in infancy or childhood, and may not show up until adolescence or adulthood. Therefore, a virgin CAN HAVE a STD.
If you use a different definition of "virginity," it is possible for contaminated finger or hand contact to spread something to a previously uninfected person. Sitting on a contaminated hot tub deck can spread trichomonas or herpes, without ever having had sex.
So although it isn't common, it is possible. for virgins to have an STD.
Good luck!
--mark
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