Published on Mar 28, 2024 | 10:57 AM
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Understanding Risk Factors, Prevention, and When to Get Tested
Travel often involves changes in routine, social settings, and decision-making. Factors such as new sexual partners, alcohol use, unfamiliar environments, and reduced access to healthcare can increase the likelihood of unprotected sex and delayed testing, raising the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Risk does not come from travel itself, but from behaviors that may occur more often while away from home.
STDs are common worldwide, and exposure risk varies by region, partner history, and type of sexual activity.
Many STDs, including chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV, are often asymptomatic, meaning a person can be infected and transmit an STD without knowing it. This makes risk assessment based on appearance or symptoms unreliable.
Several factors can raise the risk of acquiring an STD during travel.
These include having new or multiple sexual partners, inconsistent condom use, substance use that impairs judgment, lack of testing before or after travel, and limited access to prevention tools such as condoms or PrEP.
The most commonly transmitted STDs during travel are the same as those at home.
Chlamydia and gonorrhea are among the most frequently reported bacterial STDs. Syphilis rates have increased globally. Viral STDs such as herpes, HPV, and HIV can also be transmitted during travel and may not cause immediate symptoms.
Risk reduction strategies are effective regardless of location.
Consistent condom use, limiting the number of sexual partners, avoiding sex when judgment is impaired, and knowing your own testing status all help reduce risk. For individuals at higher risk, preventive options such as PrEP or DoxyPEP may be appropriate when discussed with a healthcare provider.
STD testing is recommended after travel if there was new sexual contact, unprotected sex, or uncertainty about exposure.
Some STDs require a waiting period before tests become accurate. A healthcare provider can advise on appropriate timing and which tests are needed based on exposure.
Early detection allows for timely treatment, symptom prevention, and reduced transmission to others.
Untreated STDs can lead to serious complications, including infertility, chronic pain, pregnancy complications, and increased risk of HIV transmission.
Call-On-Doc offers confidential, clinician-guided sexual health care through telehealth.
Through a virtual visit, patients can:
Discuss STD risk and prevention
Arrange appropriate testing
Receive treatment and prescriptions when appropriate
Healthcare that fits your life — not your location.
English graduate and Call-On-Doc’s medical resource guide, Wayne C. Hahne is an experienced and passionate medical education content expert. Through diligent research, provider interviews and utilizing the industry's leading resources for wellness information, it is Mr. Hahne’s personal mission to educate the general public on medical conditions with in-depth and easy-to-understand written guides. update 01/29/2026 Shelly House, FNP, is a Family Nurse Practitioner and Call-On-Doc’s trusted medical education voice. With extensive experience in telehealth and patient-centered care, Ms. House is dedicated to making complex health topics simple and accessible. Through evidence-based content, provider collaboration, and a passion for empowering patients, her mission is to break down barriers to healthcare by delivering clear, compassionate, and practical medical guidance.
The Problem with Antibiotic Resistant STDS
Antibiotic-resistant sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections that no longer respond reliably to medications that were once effective. Resistance develops when bacteria adapt and survive despite antibiotic treatment, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of complications and spread.
Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern worldwide and directly affects how certain STDs are diagnosed, treated, and managed today.
Sep 15, 2023 | 2:01 PM
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CallOnDoc Focus: What Is DoxyPEP?
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DoxyPEP, short for doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis, is a preventive strategy that involves taking a dose of the antibiotic doxycycline after sexual exposure to reduce the risk of certain bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
DoxyPEP is not a vaccine and does not prevent all STIs. It is a risk-reduction tool recommended for specific populations based on evidence showing reduced rates of some bacterial STIs when used correctly.
Nov 14, 2023 | 2:19 PM
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Call-On-Doc Focus: What Are the Chances of Catching an STD When Traveling?
Understanding Risk Factors, Prevention, and When to Get Tested
Travel often involves changes in routine, social settings, and decision-making. Factors such as new sexual partners, alcohol use, unfamiliar environments, and reduced access to healthcare can increase the likelihood of unprotected sex and delayed testing, raising the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Risk does not come from travel itself, but from behaviors that may occur more often while away from home.
Mar 14, 2024 | 11:42 AM
Read More
The Problem with Antibiotic Resistant STDS
Antibiotic-resistant sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are infections that no longer respond reliably to medications that were once effective. Resistance develops when bacteria adapt and survive despite antibiotic treatment, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of complications and spread.
Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern worldwide and directly affects how certain STDs are diagnosed, treated, and managed today.
Sep 15, 2023 | 2:01 PM
CallOnDoc Focus: What Is DoxyPEP?
How It Works, Who It’s For, and What to Know
DoxyPEP, short for doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis, is a preventive strategy that involves taking a dose of the antibiotic doxycycline after sexual exposure to reduce the risk of certain bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
DoxyPEP is not a vaccine and does not prevent all STIs. It is a risk-reduction tool recommended for specific populations based on evidence showing reduced rates of some bacterial STIs when used correctly.
Nov 14, 2023 | 2:19 PM
Call-On-Doc Focus: What Are the Chances of Catching an STD When Traveling?
Understanding Risk Factors, Prevention, and When to Get Tested
Travel often involves changes in routine, social settings, and decision-making. Factors such as new sexual partners, alcohol use, unfamiliar environments, and reduced access to healthcare can increase the likelihood of unprotected sex and delayed testing, raising the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Risk does not come from travel itself, but from behaviors that may occur more often while away from home.
Mar 14, 2024 | 11:42 AM
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