STDs are a common part of young adult life: people aged 15 to 24 account for almost half of the roughly 20 million new US infections each year.1Everlywell. STD Statistics & Data 2022 | 38 STD Statistics for College Students Being in college doesn’t make you more likely to catch one than other people your age, and if anything, students tend to fare slightly better. The real campus problem is less how many infections there are than how many go unnoticed, because most cause no symptoms.
What the Numbers Say About College Students
Young people carry a big share of the two most common bacterial STDs. People aged 15 to 24 make up 61% of US chlamydia cases and 42% of gonorrhea cases.2Everlywell. STD Statistics & Data 2022 | 38 STD Statistics for College Students That makes chlamydia the bacterial STD a college student is most likely to meet.
Yearly rates reported by students look low. In a national survey of nearly 139,000 college students, 2.4% said they’d been diagnosed with an STD in the past year.3PubMed Central. Opioid misuse and sexually transmitted infections among U.S. college students: a cross-sectional analysis of the ACHA-NCHA III But that counts only infections someone tested for and found, so the real number of infections is higher. Even so, four-year college students were less than half as likely to test positive for chlamydia as young adults with only a high school diploma who weren’t in college.4PubMed Central. Graduating into Lower Risk: Chlamydia and Trichomonas Prevalence among Community College Students and Graduates The figure you’ve probably seen, that about 1 in 4 college students has an STD,5Sesame. The Dirty Secret of STDs on College Campuses comes from a commercial health website, not a campus study, and likely mixes in very common, mostly harmless infections like HPV and oral herpes.
Student STD numbers vary so widely because the counts aren’t measuring the same thing. Some include only diagnosed infections, while others count any infection found by testing. Self-reported surveys miss everyone who never got tested. And percentages for “young people” include teenagers and people who aren’t students at all. When you see a statistic, check who was counted (students, or all young people), what was counted (diagnosed, or found on a test), and how the data were gathered.
A yearly self-reported rate can’t be turned into a lifetime figure by simple multiplication, because the same people aren’t at risk every year and many students have no new partners in a given year. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are also curable, so a treated past infection isn’t a current one. “Ever had one” and “has one now” are different numbers.
For you, this means your risk depends far more on your partners and your condom use than on being enrolled. A low yearly average can still add up over four years of dating, since each new partner is a fresh chance of exposure. And because most infections are silent, feeling fine says little. The only way to know your status is to be tested.
The Most Common STDs on Campus
HPV is the most widespread. There are over 150 types, and most infections cause no symptoms and go away by themselves.6PubMed Central. The Growing Epidemic of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Adolescents: A Neglected Population A few types cause genital warts, and others can lead to cervical, throat and other cancers years later.
Herpes antibodies are common and rise during college. About 37% of college freshmen carry antibodies to HSV-1, the type that usually causes cold sores, rising to 46% by fourth year.7PubMed. A cross-sectional study of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 in college students: occurrence and determinants of infection HSV-2, the type more often behind genital herpes, was found in under 1% of freshmen but about 4% of fourth-year students.8PubMed. A cross-sectional study of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 in college students: occurrence and determinants of infection Yet only about 1% of fourth-year students knew they’d ever had genital herpes.9PubMed. A cross-sectional study of herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2 in college students: occurrence and determinants of infection The oral herpes type can also spread to the genitals through oral sex, which is why a first genital herpes case in a student is sometimes that type.
Many people pick up the oral herpes type in childhood from non-sexual contact, such as a kiss from a relative, so having it says nothing unusual about your sexual history. A positive antibody result means you carry the virus. It doesn’t mean you’ll have outbreaks, and many carriers never notice any. Herpes is usually not part of a standard STD panel, so a student who wants it checked generally has to ask, and should talk through the pros and cons of testing without symptoms with the clinician first.
Less familiar infections also turn up. Mycoplasma genitalium, a lesser-known bacterial STD, showed up in about 3 to 4% of people tested at sexual health clinics in Europe.10PubMed. Mycoplasma genitalium and Trichomonas vaginalis in France: a point prevalence study in people screened for sexually transmitted diseases In a US clinic study of men with an STD, it was nearly as common as chlamydia (31% vs 34%) and far more common than gonorrhea (5%).11PubMed Central. Mycoplasma genitalium Prevalence, Coinfection, and Macrolide Antibiotic Resistance Frequency ina Multicenter Clinical Study Cohort in the United States Trichomonas, a parasite infection, turned up in under 2% of clinic patients.12PubMed Central. The prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium (MG) and Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) at testing centers in Belgium, Germany, Spain, and the UK using the cobas TV/MG assay These figures come from clinic patients, not students, so campus rates may be lower.
Routine screening panels usually don’t include Mycoplasma genitalium, so a student can have a full “clean” panel and still carry it. It can cause discharge or burning when peeing that looks a lot like chlamydia. If symptoms continue after negative chlamydia and gonorrhea results, ask the clinician whether testing for it makes sense.
Why Many Infected Students Don’t Know It
Chlamydia and gonorrhea often cause no symptoms, or symptoms mild enough to shrug off.13Sesame. The Dirty Secret of STDs on College Campuses About 7 in 10 people with Mycoplasma genitalium and 6 in 10 with trichomonas had no symptoms.14PubMed. Mycoplasma genitalium and Trichomonas vaginalis in France: a point prevalence study in people screened for sexually transmitted diseases So people pass these infections on without realizing it.
Untreated chlamydia can cause lasting harm. In women, it can spread to the reproductive organs and cause pelvic pain.15World Health Organization. Chlamydia In later stages it can cause infertility and ectopic pregnancy, a pregnancy outside the womb.16World Health Organization. Chlamydia Chlamydia is easily cured with antibiotics once it’s found, though.
Many students underestimate their own risk. Most female college students in one study didn’t consider themselves at risk for an STI, even though few used condoms consistently.17PubMed. Sexually transmitted infection risk perception among female college students
When symptoms do appear, they deserve action. Burning when you pee, or discharge that is new or different for you, can point to chlamydia, gonorrhea or other infections, and calls for a test rather than waiting. Pelvic pain or bleeding between periods can mean an infection has spread, so get it checked promptly. Sores, bumps or blisters around the genitals or mouth can be herpes, warts or something else, and a clinician can often test a fresh sore directly. Symptoms can also fade on their own while the infection stays, so a symptom disappearing isn’t proof you’re cured.
A partner’s “I’m clean” usually means they feel fine, not that they were tested. Even a recent test may not have covered every infection, so ask when they were tested and for what.
What Raises Your Risk in College
Alcohol and drugs go along with riskier sex. Students who drink more are more likely to report hookups,18PubMed Central. The Association between Alcohol and Sexual Risk Behaviors among College Students: A Review and drug use, including using before or during sex, is linked to having had an STD among students.19PubMed Central. Risk Determinants of Sexual Behaviors: Dating Apps, History of Sexually Transmitted Infections, Substance Use, and Pornography Consumption in Health Science Students
Dating apps go with more partners. Students with more than one partner in the past year were much more likely to use dating apps.20PubMed Central. Exploring relationships between dating app use and sexual activity among young adult college students One modeling estimate suggests app use helped push STD rates up 9 to 15% a year between 2015 and 2019.21Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering. Sexually transmitted infections and dating app use
Some groups report more STDs. Among sexually active college women, 9% of bisexual women reported an STD in the past year, versus 2% of lesbian women.22PubMed. STDs among sexually active female college students: does sexual orientation make a difference? Bisexual women were about 60% more likely than heterosexual women to report one.23MDedge. Bisexual College Women at Greatest Risk of STDs Among women with multiple partners, those with both male and female partners had the highest rate, 16%.24PubMed. STDs among sexually active female college students: does sexual orientation make a difference?
For one person, risk builds up in several ways. When you have sex with someone new, you’re exposed to whatever infections their earlier partners passed on, not only theirs now. Condoms used consistently lower the risk of chlamydia and gonorrhea considerably, but protect less against herpes and HPV, which spread through skin areas a condom may not cover. Oral sex can pass gonorrhea, chlamydia and herpes to the throat, so counting only intercourse leaves out a real route. And a committed relationship doesn’t rule out an infection picked up before it began, since silent ones can sit unnoticed for a long time.
Getting Tested on Campus
Yearly chlamydia and gonorrhea testing is recommended for sexually active women under 25. Anyone with a new or multiple partners benefits from testing, and men who have sex with men are advised to test at least yearly.
Ask about throat and rectal tests. Standard testing uses urine or a genital swab, but infections in the throat or rectum can be missed. At one college health center, about 29% of gonorrhea infections would have been missed without throat and rectal swabs.25PubMed. Extragenital Screening of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae Among Women in the College Health Setting Tell the clinician if you’ve had oral or anal sex so they can choose the right swabs.
A typical visit starts with questions about your partners and the kinds of sex you have. That’s what decides which tests you need, so honest answers help. HIV and syphilis are checked with a blood sample, usually a finger prick or a draw from the arm. Results often come back within a few days, and the clinic should tell you how they’ll contact you.
Privacy and cost stop many students. Those on a parent’s insurance often worry the bill will reveal they were tested.26NASPA. A Creative Initiative to Promote STI Testing Among College Students With home test kits, students worry about cost, accuracy and roommates seeing the kit.27PubMed Central. Exploring Facilitators and Barriers to STD/STI/HIV Self-Testing Among College Students in the United States: A Scoping Review Ask the clinic up front how tests are billed and whether free or self-pay options exist.
Many student health centers offer STD tests free or at low cost, and some bill the student account instead of a parent’s insurance. Public health clinics and Planned Parenthood often test confidentially for little money, and some charge on a sliding scale by income. In the US, an insurer may mail an explanation of benefits to the policyholder, so ask the clinic how to request confidential communication to a different address or email.
If You Test Positive
Chlamydia, gonorrhea and trichomonas are curable with antibiotics, while herpes and HPV are managed rather than cured. Take the full course as prescribed even if symptoms go away early. Avoid sex until you and your partners finish treatment, or reinfection is common. For herpes and HPV, treatment focuses on managing symptoms and lowering the chance of passing the virus on, and a clinician can explain what that looks like for you.
Some campus clinics offer expedited partner therapy, medicine you take to your partner so they can be treated without a visit.28PubMed Central. Use of Patient-Delivered Partner Therapy in US College Settings: Associations With Legality, Perceived Legality and Other Sexual and Reproductive Health Services In one study, whether clinics offered it depended more on whether staff thought it was legal than on actual state law.29PubMed Central. Use of Patient-Delivered Partner Therapy in US College Settings: Associations With Legality, Perceived Legality and Other Sexual and Reproductive Health Services Ask your clinic directly if they offer it. Either way, tell the clinician about all partners you’ve had recently, since they help decide who should be tested and treated.
When telling a partner, a short, factual message works better than an apology: say you tested positive for a specific infection, whether it’s curable, and that they should get tested. Health departments offer anonymous notification services that tell partners they may have been exposed without naming you, which helps if the conversation feels impossible. Plan to retest about three months after treatment, since reinfection is common.
The HPV Vaccine in College
In one study, under half of college students had at least one HPV dose and only about 1 in 5 had finished the series.30PubMed. HPV Vaccination Predictors Among College Students More than 30% weren’t sure whether they’d been vaccinated.31PubMed. HPV Vaccination Predictors Among College Students Catch-up vaccination is recommended for everyone through age 26 who wasn’t fully vaccinated earlier. Check your records with your old doctor or student health, and finish any missing doses.
The vaccine still helps if you’ve already had sex, because you’ve probably not met every HPV type it covers. It protects against the cancer-causing types, not just the ones that cause warts. Most student health centers offer it, so you may not need an outside appointment. And missing a dose doesn’t mean starting over; you pick up where you left off and finish the series.