---
title: Know Your Sexual Exposure to Sexually Transmitted Diseases STD
description: Understand the risks of STD exposure with multiple partners. Learn from expert advice on sexual health and make informed choices about abortion and pregnancy.
image: https://www.informedchoicesclinic.com/hubfs/iStock-1473049566.jpg
---

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# Know Your Sexual Exposure to Sexually Transmitted Diseases STD

![Know Your Sexual Exposure to Sexually Transmitted Diseases STD](https://www.informedchoicesclinic.com/hubfs/iStock-1473049566.jpg)

Each time you choose another partner, your chance of contracting a sexually transmitted disease goes up dramatically.

 

| Your Partners | Your Exposure |
| --- | --- |
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 15 |
| 5 | 31 |
| 6 | 63 |
| 7 | 27 |
| 8 | 255 |
| 9 | 511 |
| 10 | 1,023 |
| 11 | 2,047 |
| 12 | 4,095 |
| 13 | 8,195 |
| 14 | 16,383 |
| 15 | 32,767 |
| 16 | 65,535 |

 

“When you have sex with someone, you are having sex with everyone they have had sex with for the last ten years, and everyone they and their partners have had sex with for the last ten years.”  *C.Everett Koop, M.D., Former U.S. Surgeon General*

 

The only 100% sure way to avoid exposure to sexually transmitted diseases is abstinence.

 

This chart assumes each person involved has had only as many partners as you have.  Each exposure represents the possibility of contracting a serious sexual disease.

 

For you math students: ***F(n) = 2n -1*** where n is the number of partners

![ICOI-logo-2014-update@2x-700x154-1-1](https://www.informedchoicesclinic.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ICOI-logo-2014-update@2x-700x154-1-1.png?width=317&height=70&name=ICOI-logo-2014-update@2x-700x154-1-1.png)

 

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