Women who have sex with women can and do acquire sexually transmitted infections, and sexual orientation alone is not protective. The CDC advises providers not to presume that women who have sex with women are at low or no risk. Routine cervical screening, barrier methods, and regular testing all remain relevant to your sexual health for women who have sex with women.
This is part of our LGBTQ+ health hub. It is general education, not a substitute for advice from a knowledgeable healthcare provider.
Understanding the real risks
"Women who have sex with women" (WSW) is a behavioural term, not an identity. It describes what people do rather than how they identify, and many women have had partners of more than one sex over their lifetime. That history matters, because risk follows behaviour and anatomy, not labels.
Infection rates among WSW may be lower than among women who have sex with men, but the CDC is clear that they are still significant. Same-sex behaviour between women should never lead a provider, or you, to skip screening.
Which infections can pass between female partners
Several infections are documented to transmit through contact between women:
- HPV (human papillomavirus) — spreads through skin-to-skin genital contact and can cause genital warts and cervical changes.
- Herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2) — transmitted through skin and mucous-membrane contact.
- Trichomoniasis — a treatable parasitic infection that can pass between female partners.
- Bacterial vaginosis (BV) — an imbalance of vaginal bacteria that is notably more common among women with female partners.
- Syphilis, chlamydia, and others — can be present, particularly with shared toys, fluids, or partners of more than one sex.
Transmission most often occurs through digital-genital contact, shared sex toys, and oral contact.
Cervical screening is for you too
A persistent myth holds that women who only have sex with women do not need cervical screening. This is incorrect and, according to public-health bodies, dangerous.
The NHS is explicit: if you have a cervix and have had any kind of sexual contact, with a man or a woman, you can develop cervical cancer. HPV, which causes nearly all cervical cancer, passes through many forms of sexual activity, not only penetrative sex with men.
- Attend cervical screening when invited, regardless of your sexual orientation or your partners' gender.
- The HPV vaccine reduces but does not eliminate risk, so continue screening even if vaccinated.
- Trans men and non-binary people who have a cervix also need screening.
Practical safer-sex steps
Barrier methods reduce contact with fluids and skin-to-skin transmission. They are underused among WSW, partly because of the myth of low risk. Reasonable, evidence-aligned steps include:
- Using latex or nitrile gloves for digital-genital contact, especially if you have cuts on your hands.
- Using a dental dam or other latex or plastic barrier for oral-genital contact.
- Covering shared sex toys with a fresh condom for each use and each partner, and washing toys with warm, soapy water between uses.
- Talking openly with partners about testing history and any symptoms.
Testing, and finding affirming care
Regular STI testing is a normal part of looking after your health. How often you test depends on your partners and activities, so ask a provider for a plan that fits you. Testing is recommended after a new partner or any possible exposure.
NHS sexual health clinics offer testing that is free and available to everyone regardless of gender or sexuality, and visits are confidential. A typical check may involve self-taken or clinician-taken swabs and a blood test.
Finding a provider who treats you with respect makes all of this easier. You may find our guides to inclusive STI testing for LGBTQ+ people, finding LGBTQ+ affirming healthcare, and safer sex and prevention for LGBTQ+ people helpful next steps.
The bottom line
Being a woman who has sex with women does not make you immune to STIs or cervical cancer. The protective steps are straightforward: attend cervical screening when invited, use barriers and care for shared toys, ask about vaccines, and test regularly with an affirming provider. Risk follows behaviour, not identity, and the same evidence-based prevention that serves everyone serves you.
