Can I Get the Same STI a Second Time?

Whether you can get the same sexually transmitted infection (STI) again depends, to some extent, on what you were infected with. There are some STIs that you can contract over and over again. There are others that you get once and are infected with for life.

There are also a few STIs that you can become immune to after vaccination or infection, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

Knowing more about which STIs fit into which categories cannot only help you better monitor your health, but protect the health of your sexual partner(s).

STIs You Can Get Repeatedly

Most bacterial and parasitic STIs are relatively easy to treat. They're also easy to catch again after treatment.

That's why, when you have a treatable STI, most healthcare providers recommend that you refrain from sex until both you and your partner have completed treatment (and sometimes longer).

Here are some of the bacterial and parasitic STIs that you can get more than once:

• Chlamydia
• Gonorrhea
• Syphilis
• Mycoplasma genitalium
• Trichomoniasis

STIs That Are Unlikely to Cause Reinfection

Some viral STIs last a lifetime. However, there are some that the body can clear on its own, like human papillomavirus (HPV) or hepatitis B.

Once you have gotten rid of an HPV infection, you're less likely to be reinfected, though it's still possible. It's also possible to be infected with a different strain of HPV. There are over 100 types, about 30 of which can affect the genitals, rectum, and anus.

Therefore, even if a past infection completely eliminated susceptibility to one strain, you would still be at significant risk to pick up another type.

Other STIs like HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), oral herpes, or genital herpes result in lifelong infection. You never truly get rid of these viral infections, although they may lie dormant for years or even decades.

In general, the symptoms of viral STIs may be treatable. However, the infections themselves are difficult or impossible to cure.

It's also important to know that, although they generally clear up on their own, hepatitis B and HPV can also set up long-term, chronic infections. Whether you kick such viral infections or they become chronic depends on a number of factors, including the health of your immune system.

Common Causes of Reinfection

Although some STIs can be diagnosed and treated, it may still be possible to get reinfected. Some common ways that people get reinfected include failure to complete treatment, a partner not getting treated, and not practicing safer sex.

Failure to Complete Treatment

If you don't take your entire course of antibiotics, you may not fully get rid of an infection. In addition, failing to finish your medication can cause problems such as antibiotic resistance. This means that the medication may not work as well if you need to take it again.

A Partner Doesn't Get Treated

If only one member of a sexual partnership gets tested and treated, the other may remain infected without knowing it. Then, even if the first person is successfully treated, they can become reinfected during sex.

Not Practicing Safer Sex

If you're sexually active during STI treatment, there is a possibility that you could transmit your current infection to other sexual partners.

That's why it's best to avoid sex entirely until treatment is done. If you don't, the person you gave the infection to could pass it right back to you once you've been cured.