Safer sex for queer people

Sex ed often skips the kinds of sex that don't involve a penis in a vagina. This page covers them: what can pass STIs (sexually transmitted infections), which barriers help, and why testing and cervical screening still matter. It doesn't assume anything about who anyone is with. Nobody has to be having sex to read it, and nobody has to start.

Contraception, general STI testing and consent are on the sexual health page. That page also applies if a partner makes sperm.

A note on the research: much of what the CDC (the US public health agency) says here comes from its guidelines on "women who have sex with women". People's bodies and labels don't always fit that phrase, so it won't match everyone exactly.

STIs can still pass

Lesbian and bisexual people, nonbinary people and trans people aren't immune to STIs.¹ The CDC says the same of the group its guidelines cover: they shouldn't be assumed to be at low or no risk because of their sexual orientation.² There isn't much research on how easily STIs pass between those partners. The risk probably depends on the STI and on what kind of sex it is.²

Source: NHS, CDC

What can pass them

• Shared toys, hands, and rubbing genitals together. Chlamydia and gonorrhoea can be passed on all three ways.¹

  Source: NHS

• Fingers. Fingers in the vagina or anus are a possible way for infected fluids to pass, particularly along with shared sex toys.²

  Source: CDC, NHS

• Oral sex. Herpes can spread through vaginal, anal or oral sex, or by sharing sex toys, and the CDC says it can pass sexually between partners who both have a vagina.¹² There are reports of syphilis passing between such partners, probably through oral sex.²

  Source: NHS, CDC

• Skin-to-skin contact. Genital warts come from some types of HPV (human papillomavirus), usually through skin contact, such as rubbing genitals together.¹

  Verified with: NHS, Cleveland Clinic

• Sharing fluids. Trichomoniasis can be passed on during any sexual activity where vaginal fluid is exchanged, and passing it directly between partners who both have a vagina has been shown.¹²

  Verified with: NHS, CDC

• Mouth-to-anus contact. Shigella, a bacterial infection of the intestine, can be caught during anal-oral sex ("rimming") and from giving oral sex after anal sex.¹

  Verified with: NHS, HSE Ireland, CDC

BV (bacterial vaginosis) is caused by an imbalance of bacteria in the vagina. The NHS says it isn't classed as an STI, but sexual activity can trigger it or pass it on. The CDC says it's sexually transmitted between partners who both have a vagina.³² The NHS and ACOG say a partner with a vagina may need treatment too. The CDC says this hasn't been studied, and doesn't recommend routine partner treatment.³⁴⁵ A doctor or clinic can advise.

Source: NHS, CDC, ACOG

STIs can be treated, so there's no need to be scared of having a test.⁶⁷

Source: NHS, CDC

Barriers and other things that help

Avoiding shared sex toys, cleaning shared sex toys and using barriers might help both partners. That advice from the CDC is about BV.² Here's how each one works.

Source: CDC

Dental dams, for oral sex

A dental dam is a thin square of latex or polyurethane (a soft plastic). It goes between the mouth and the vagina or anus during oral sex, as a barrier against STIs.¹⁸⁹ It doesn't stop infections that pass through skin-to-skin contact, like HPV or genital herpes.¹⁰

Source: NHS, CDC, Cleveland Clinic

• Use a new one every time. Never reuse a dam.⁸

  Source: CDC, Cleveland Clinic

• Check the expiry date and look for tears. Lay it flat over the vaginal opening or anus before starting, and keep it on until finished.⁸

  Source: CDC, Cleveland Clinic

• Use water-based or silicone-based lube. Oil-based products like baby oil, lotion or petroleum jelly will make it break, and stretching it can tear it.⁸

  Source: CDC, Cleveland Clinic

• Ready-made dams can be bought online.⁸ One can also be made from a latex or polyurethane condom: unroll it, cut off the tip and the bottom, cut down one side, and lay it flat.⁸

  Source: CDC, Cleveland Clinic

• If either person has cuts or sores in the mouth or on the lips, avoid oral sex.¹

  Verified with: NHS, Healthdirect Australia

Hands and gloves

• Wash hands before and after sex, and consider wearing gloves.¹

  Source: NHS

• Against shigella, latex gloves for fingering offer protection. So do washing hands after sex and changing condoms between anal and oral sex.¹

  Source: NHS, HSE Ireland

Sex toys

• If using sex toys, use a new condom or internal condom for each partner, and use a different one when changing from vaginal to anal penetration.¹

  Source: NHS, HSE Ireland

• Wash toys with soap and water between sessions.¹

  Verified with: NHS, CDC

• Traces of HPV can stay on objects, including sex toys.²

  Source: CDC

Testing still matters

Lesbian and bisexual people, nonbinary people assigned female at birth and trans men are sometimes told they don't need STI tests. That isn't true.¹ Having had same-sex partners shouldn't stop a doctor from offering STI tests and cervical screening, the CDC says.²

Source: NHS, CDC

• Anyone who is sexually active, has symptoms or is worried about an STI should get tested regularly.¹ Many STIs have no symptoms, so feeling fine doesn't settle it.¹¹

  Verified with: NHS, CDC, HSE Ireland

• Good testing depends on an open talk about what kind of sex someone is actually having, not just their identity.² So if you are told a test isn't needed, it's okay to explain and ask again.

  Source: CDC

• In the UK, anyone can go to a sexual health clinic, whatever their gender or age, with or without symptoms.¹² The sexual health page has more on how tests work and on confidentiality.

  Verified with: NHS (UK only)

HPV and cervical screening

HPV is very common. Most people get some type of it in their life, usually without symptoms, and most infections cause no problems and clear within 2 years.¹³ It doesn't take penetrative sex: it can pass through any skin-to-skin contact of the genital area, oral sex and sharing sex toys, and it likely passes between partners who both have a vagina. It can be caught the first time someone has sex.¹³² Condoms help, but they don't cover all the skin around the genitals, so they don't protect fully.¹³

Source: NHS, CDC, Cleveland Clinic

The HPV vaccine

The vaccine protects against the types of HPV behind most genital warts and cervical cancer, though not against every type.¹³ In the UK, all children aged 12 to 13 are offered it. Anyone who was eligible and missed it can contact a school nurse or GP surgery.¹⁴ In the US, the CDC says young adults in the group its guidelines cover should be offered it, in line with vaccine recommendations.²

Source: NHS, Mayo Clinic, CDC

Cervical screening, later on

The NHS says anyone with a cervix who has had any kind of sexual contact, whoever it was with, could get cervical cancer, which is why screening matters. That includes lesbian and bisexual people and trans men with a cervix. Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by high-risk types of HPV.¹⁵ The CDC says routine screening should be offered regardless of sexual orientation or practices.² Even after no sexual contact at all, when the risk is low, the NHS still advises going when invited.¹⁵ Screening still matters after the HPV vaccine, too.¹⁴

Source: NHS, CDC

It doesn't start in the teen years: in England the first invite comes at 25, and in the US screening isn't recommended before 21.¹⁶¹⁷ In England, someone with a cervix who is registered at the GP as male or indeterminate may not be invited automatically, and can ask to be.¹⁶ The trans and nonbinary page has tips for making it easier.

Source: NHS, ACOG, CDC

More on when to see a doctor and how to ask.

Titles are shown as each source published them, so they may use words this site doesn't.

1. NHS 111 Wales — Sexual Health for LGBTQ+ women (accessed 2026-10-30)
2. CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) — STI Treatment Guidelines, 2021: Women Who Have Sex with Women and Women Who Have Sex with Women and Men (accessed 2026-10-30)
3. NHS (UK National Health Service) — Bacterial vaginosis (accessed 2026-10-30)
4. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — Vulvovaginal Health (FAQ) (accessed 2026-10-30)
5. CDC — Bacterial Vaginosis: STI Treatment Guidelines (accessed 2026-10-30)
6. NHS (UK National Health Service) — Where can I get sexual health advice, now? (accessed 2026-10-29)
7. CDC — About Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) (accessed 2026-10-30)
8. CDC (US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) — How to Use a Dental Dam (accessed 2026-10-30)
9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Preventing STDs with Condoms (accessed 2026-10-29)
10. Cleveland Clinic — Dental Dam (accessed 2026-10-30)
11. NHS (UK National Health Service) — Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (accessed 2026-10-29)
12. NHS (UK National Health Service) — Visiting a sexual health clinic (accessed 2026-10-29)
13. NHS (UK National Health Service) — Human papillomavirus (HPV) (accessed 2026-10-30)
14. NHS (UK National Health Service) — HPV vaccine (accessed 2026-10-30)
15. NHS (UK National Health Service) — Cervical screening: why it’s done (accessed 2026-10-30)
16. NHS (UK National Health Service) — When you'll be invited for cervical screening (accessed 2026-10-30)
17. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — Your First Gynecologic Visit (FAQ) (accessed 2026-10-29)