STDs are mostly carried in mucosal surfaces and thus are thought to mostly be transmitted through penetrating sexual intercourse, but there are other sources of contact!
Males, age 20ish, 1/3 tested positive for HPV under finger nails! Yes! Touching will do it, HPV transmitted by hand contact, not just intercourse. However just having the virus present in that location doesn’t really mean it’s likely as a way to transmit infection. So pretty gloves for heavy petting? Might not be just a funny idea any longer, but no, not really what we recommend. We do recommend preventative vaccines and screenings based on risk factors we can discuss at your next visit. Gardasil vaccine is approved up to age 46.
HSV and syphilis can be transmitted from genital lesions to the hands, but then transmitting an infection on from there has not been convincingly documented. And getting each other screened before beginning sexual relationship helps to prevent infections too.
