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Do stds come from men putting their dicks in animals
Executive summary
Human sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are usually species‑specific, but some human pathogens originally came from animals through zoonotic jumps over long timeframes — for example HIV’s ancestor in primates [1][2]. Direct transmission of common human STIs from animals during individual acts of intercourse is rare and mostly unsupported in the literature; experts say many animal STIs involve different strains or transmission routes [2][3][4].
1. What the question is actually asking — “Can men get STDs by having sex with animals?”
The user asks whether human STIs can result from humans having sexual contact with animals. Scientific literature distinguishes two things: (A) contemporary zoonotic infections that can be transmitted from animals to humans by various routes (bites, bodily fluids, environmental exposure), and (B) classic human STIs that circulate between people. Most reporting and reviews say species specificity and different strains make direct cross‑species sexual transmission uncommon, so the short answer in current reporting is: generally no for routine STIs such as human chlamydia or gonorrhea, though exceptions and rare zoonotic events exist [4][2][5].
2. Where zoonotic origins do explain some human infections — long ago vs. today
Some major human infections began as animal pathogens and later adapted to humans. HIV is a clear example: simian immunodeficiency viruses in primates crossed into humans historically and became HIV, which then transmits sexually among humans [1][2]. Several chlamydial species also show evolutionary links between animal and human pathogens; genomic work suggests human respiratory chlamydia likely had zoonotic ancestors [6][3]. These are evolutionary, population‑level events over years or centuries, not common one‑off transmissions from a single sexual encounter with an animal [6][3].
3. Why most human STIs aren’t simply “caught from animals” in everyday encounters
Microbes are often adapted to a particular host species. Multiple sources emphasize that many animal STIs are caused by strains that do not infect humans, or transmit by non‑sexual routes (e.g., inhalation, contact with feces, bites). Discover Magazine and environmental health summaries note that animal chlamydial species differ from human C. trachomatis and usually don’t jump during sexual contact [2][1][5]. Reviews of animal STIs also highlight scarce clinical evidence for direct zoophilic sexual transmission in modern case literature [7][4].
4. Documented exceptions and rare cases — what the literature shows
Medical case reports and reviews document occasional zoonotic infections affecting human genitourinary or reproductive tissues, and historical or rare agents have been described (for example, Kurthia and some animal chlamydiae implicated in sporadic human illness) [7][8]. Authors warn data are limited and such events are uncommon; direct sexual transmission from animals to humans is scarcely documented and remains a niche area of study [7][8].
5. Public health and practical guidance implied by reporting
Public health sources emphasize preventing zoonoses via hygiene, avoiding risky contact with wild or sick animals, and responsible handling of livestock and pets — not because pets routinely give people classic human STIs, but because animal reservoirs can harbor pathogens transmissible to people by multiple routes [5][9]. The Environmental Literacy Council and MN Dept. of Health frame the risk as real but typically indirect, and they stress species specificity and other routes of exposure [5][9].
6. Common myths and a recent pop‑culture moment that shows confusion
Entertainment coverage fact‑checked a claim that human chlamydia came from sex between people and koalas and concluded that this is false because koala chlamydia is a different strain — while evolutionary links between chlamydial species exist, the TV claim misrepresented the science [10][3]. Reporting warns against simplistic statements like “STDs only formed because men had sex with animals,” noting that evolutionary origins are complex and evidence for direct sexual transfer events is scarce [10][3].
7. Bottom line — what reporting supports you can safely say
Available sources do not support the blanket claim that modern human STIs commonly arise from men having sex with animals; most human STIs are maintained and transmitted among humans, though some pathogens historically originated in animals and rare zoonotic transmissions do occur [2][3][4]. If you’re concerned about exposure or symptoms, public health guidance is to avoid sexual contact with animals (a harm‑prevention standard), practice safe sex with humans, and seek medical testing and treatment when needed [5][9].
Limitations and transparency: the literature notes scarce data on direct zoophilic sexual transmission and ongoing genomic research into origins of some pathogens, so absolute definitive statements about every possible microbe aren’t available in current reporting [7][3].