Surprisingly much is said about STIs with great confidence and little fact-checking. "I would surely notice something." "Oral sex is safe." It is exactly these beliefs that make people postpone a check they would have been better off doing. Below we put five of the most stubborn myths next to what the facts say.
Our stance up front: the most dangerous myth is not a specific untruth, but the idea that your body will tell you whether something is going on. That very assumption is what keeps STIs under the radar.
| Myth | What the facts say |
|---|---|
| "You would notice an STI" | Many STIs cause few or no symptoms. According to RIVM, a large share of chlamydia infections run without clear symptoms. |
| "You cannot get an STI from oral sex" | Chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis can also be passed through the throat. That is why a throat test can be useful after oral contact. |
| "You get an STI from a toilet seat or towel" | Incorrect. STIs pass through mucous-membrane contact (genital, anal, oral) and blood, not through surfaces or toilet seats. |
| "One partner, so no risk" | The risk depends on what both partners brought along earlier and whether anything changed since the last check. No symptoms is no guarantee. |
| "An STI test automatically covers everything" | A standard test often covers chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis. Herpes, hepatitis, or a throat and anus test are not always included by default. |
Myth 1: "You would notice an STI"
This is the most common, and the most misleading. RIVM stresses that many STIs, especially chlamydia, often cause no symptoms at all. Someone can be contagious for months without ever noticing a thing. As a result untreated infections keep circulating, and over time these can cause problems such as fertility issues. No symptoms therefore does not mean "no STI", but rather "not visible without a test".
The deceptive part is that mild symptoms, if there are any at all, are easily mistaken for something else. A bit of burning when you urinate, some extra discharge or a vague discomfort gets pinned on a bladder infection, thrush or simply a busy week. That is exactly why a test is more reliable than your own judgement: it does not look at how you feel, but at what is actually in your body.
Myth 2: "Oral sex is safe"
Oral sex feels like the safe option to many people, but chlamydia, gonorrhoea and syphilis can also settle in the throat. Thuisarts.nl explicitly names the throat as a possible site for an STI. A throat infection often causes no symptoms, so it can be passed on unnoticed. If you had oral contact, a test that also covers the throat can be useful.
Myth 3: "You get an STI from a toilet seat or towel"
This myth mostly keeps shame alive. STIs are passed through mucous-membrane contact during sex, and some through blood. The bacteria and viruses barely survive on a toilet seat or towel. So you do not need to worry about a public toilet, and the idea that an STI is "dirty" deserves to be struck through anyway.
Myth 4: "One partner, so no risk"
Monogamy lowers the risk, but it only reaches zero once both partners have been tested and nothing has changed since. A previous partner may have brought along something that only surfaces now. That is why getting checked together at the start of a relationship makes so much sense. We wrote a separate article about it: testing together in a new relationship.
Myth 5: "An STI test automatically covers everything"
What a test covers varies. A standard panel often covers chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphilis, but herpes and hepatitis are not always included, and a throat or anus test sometimes has to be chosen separately. The NHG guideline for STI consultations therefore looks at the type of contact and the risk profile, not at a single standard list. If you want a broad picture in one go, look at a chlamydia, gonorrhoea and trichomonas test. If you are unsure what fits you, read which STI test you need and when.
Why do these myths hold up so well?
The striking thing about these five is that they all have one thing in common: they reassure you at the wrong moment. "You would notice", "oral is safe", "one partner so safe": each one is a reason not to have to test. That is comfortable, because testing takes effort and touches on shame. The myths survive not because people are foolish, but because they tell us exactly what we would like to hear.
On top of that, sexual health is still half taboo in many conversations. Anyone who never hears how common STIs are fills in the gaps themselves, and then rumours beat facts. The antidote is boring but effective: check now and then at fixed moments, and do not let yourself be led by something you happened to overhear.
What to take from this
The thread through these five myths: your body is not a reliable STI detector, and shame is a poor advisor. An STI is a common infection, not a verdict on who you are. When in doubt, getting checked is almost always wiser than waiting, and with symptoms or a positive result you can always consult your GP or the GGD.
Sources
- RIVM, STIs and testing: rivm.nl/soa
- Thuisarts.nl, about STIs: thuisarts.nl/soa
- NHG, STI consultation (guidelines for GPs): richtlijnen.nhg.org
Every blood test result includes a professional assessment from a BIG-registered doctor. Discuss treatment decisions with your GP.
Author
Discreettest
Dr. Naimi, BIG-registered physician, oversees the medical standards behind our content and assessments. Read our medical policy
