Michelle lies on the examination table, staring up at the ceiling. A doctor puts tapes filled with liquid nitrogen onto warts in her genital area. The nitrogen burns the warts off.

“At first I was mad at my boyfriend for not telling me,’’ says Michelle, 24. “But he had his genital warts removed 10 years ago, and he didn’t think he could spread the virus after having them removed.’’ 

He was wrong. And so are many others who walk around with bad information about sexually transmitted infections (STDs).

Major Myths

“It can’t happen to me’’ is probably the number one misconception. That’s what Michelle thought until she became one of the estimated eight million people under age 25 who have an STD. 

“Many people also think you can’t get an infection like genital warts unless you can see warts on your partner. That’s not true. Genital warts are caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is easily spread. Millions of people have that virus,’’ says Marshall Glover, director of the National STD Hotline, run by the American Social Health Association. 

For most people, the HPV virus never causes warts or any other illness, and so they never know they have it.

“The body is really good at keeping this virus in check,’’ explains Glover. 

For others, like Michelle, HPV causes genital warts. Men can also get genital warts, but HPV rarely causes any other illness in men. In women, HPV has been linked to cancer of the cervix, Glover says. 

“It’s the most prevalent viral STD,’’ he adds. “Younger women are very susceptible. If you have sexual contact, chances are you’re going to come into contact with HPV. That’s why it’s really important to monitor for this. If a woman is getting a Pap smear at least once a year, she’s really in pretty good shape.’’

A Pap smear is a test, given by a gynecologist, that checks a woman’s cervix for changes in her cells. Any changes can mean she has or is developing cancer. If these cell changes are caught early, they are totally treatable, in most cases, according to Glover.

How’s It Spread?

HPV is spread through skin-to-skin contact in the genital area. You do not need to have sex or exchange bodily fluids to catch the virus, according to Elizabeth Walters, a certified nurse at HiTOPS, a Princeton, NJ, clinic for teens and young people, where Michelle was treated. 

If you’re going to get warts, it usually takes six weeks after catching the virus for them to surface, but it can take months, Walters says. If you have warts, it’s best to avoid sex, because it’s easier to spread the virus when you have warts. 

You should also have the warts removed. For Michelle, that process was very difficult and painful. But Glover says new medication is helping to make it easier. There are now creams and other solutions that you can apply alone—without a doctor. But you need a prescription, so ask your doctor about them.

HPV vs. Other STDs 

Of course, it’d be better never to get the virus. But, if so many people have it, how can you keep from getting it? 

Abstaining from sex is the only way. Using condoms is a good way to prevent most STDs, but not HPV, because it’s so common and easily spread, Glover said. With HPV, unlike other STDs, the key is making sure the virus doesn’t cause serious health problems, like cancer. 

Walters also says limiting the number of people you have sex with can reduce your chance of getting an infection. 

“Be sure having sex is what you really want to do,” she says. “Take your time in making a decision. If you do decide to have sex, make sure you talk to your partner about using birth control and a condom.” 

Editor's Note: For more information, call the National STD hotline at 1-800-227-8922.

QUIZ: Seriously Studying STDs

Want to learn more about STDs? Take this true/false quiz for a healthier future.

1. Very few teens get STDs.
2. You can’t get an STD if you’re on the Pill.
3. Even though my partner and I don’t have any symptoms, we could still have an STD.
4. I have a medical checkup every year, so I’m OK.
5. Most types of sexual behavior put you at risk for catching an STD.
6. Condoms are not 100-percent effective against preventing pregnancy and disease.
7. If I get an STD, I can get a shot to get rid of it.
8. Some STDs are linked to serious illness, like cancer.

Answers:

1. False. Of sexually active teens, about 1 in 4 will get an STD before age 20. About 3 million teens get an STD each year.
2. False. Sorry, no double duty here. Birth control pills, and other hormonal methods, do prevent pregnancy, but they do not protect you against STDs. 
3. True. It’s way common for STDs to have no noticeable symptoms. Take chlamydia. It has no symptoms in 85-percent of women and 40-percent of men.
4. False. Some STDs have no symptoms and are not usually discovered during a routine exam.
5. False. STDs are most likely to be transmitted through vaginal, oral, or anal intercourse. And you can have lots of sexual pleasure without engaging in these three behaviors.
6. True. But condoms do reduce your risks. So, if you decide to have sex, ALWAYS use one.
7. False. Sorry, but some STDs have no cure and others have long, painful treatments. 
8. True. That’s why it’s important for girls and women to have a Pap smear test once a year. It can detect the early stages of cancer in women. 

Source: The American Social Health Association, Research Triangle Park, NC.

How you rate:

• 8 correct: You’re safe—if you put your smarts to good use.
• 7 to 5 correct: Brush up on the basics.
• Less than 5 correct: Hit the books. You could be in trouble.