Why This Information Matters
Because they have had a transplant, your teen takes anti‑rejection medications that weaken the immune system. A weaker immune system makes it harder for the body to fight off infections, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Because of this, STIs can be more serious to treat in teens who have had a transplant.
Some STIs cause noticeable symptoms such as pain during sex, genital redness or tenderness, or discharge that looks or smells unusual (for example: chlamydia, gonorrhea, trichomonas, herpes, syphilis). However, some infections (such as HIV, hepatitis, and HPV) have no early symptoms at all, which means they can progress and cause more serious illness.
This information aims to help you support your teen’s health, safety, and comfort as they navigate sexual development.
How Parents Can Help Teens Protect Themselves
- Encourage open conversations. Your teen may feel unsure or awkward discussing sexual health, but your openness can make a tremendous difference. Reinforce that talking about sex and health is normal and important. Let them know you are a safe person to come to with questions.
- Reinforce that abstinence is the most effective way to prevent STIs. Not having sex is the best way to avoid infection. Teens should know that it is OK to wait and that they should never feel pressured to be sexually active.
- If your teen is sexually active, help them understand the key steps to staying safer.
- Condom use: Latex or polyurethane condoms used correctly every time you have sex significantly reduce the risk of STIs. Your teen should be reminded that condoms are less effective at preventing pregnancy (about a 20% failure rate), so another birth control method is recommended for pregnancy prevention—examples include oral contraceptives, IUDs, implants, or “the Depo-shot.”
- Mutual monogamy: Having sex with only one partner who also only has sex with them lowers risk—but both partners should still be tested for STIs beforehand.
- Risk awareness: Activities that involve tearing of the skin or anal sex can increase the risk of infection. Contact with infected body fluids also increases risk.
- Avoiding alcohol and drugs: Teens should understand how these substances impair judgement and can lead to unsafe sexual situations.
Important Vaccines for Teens After Transplant
Staying up to date on the vaccines related to sexual health (in addition to other recommended vaccines) is essential because vaccines help prevent infections that could be more serious in people with weakened immune systems. Talk to your transplant team or primary care provider about the correct timing for each vaccine.
These vaccines are particularly important in regard to sexual health and STIs.
- HPV Vaccine: Helps prevent certain cancers and genital warts. Teens who have received a transplant and are over age 9 are usually advised to get the 3‑dose HPV series after transplant.
- Hepatitis A Vaccine: Protects against hepatitis A, a contagious liver disease spread through close contact or ingesting contaminated food or drink.
- Hepatitis B Vaccine: Protects against hepatitis B, a liver infection spread through infected blood and body fluids. This illness can last for a short time or may become a chronic condition. Your provider will recommend when your teen should receive doses.
If you’re unsure which vaccines your teen has already received, your provider can check their records and schedule any needed immunizations.
Partnering With Your Teen’s Care Team
- Encourage your teen to talk openly about their sexual health with their medical providers. Teens benefit from having trusted adults—including you and their healthcare team—who can answer questions and offer guidance.
- Connect with Adolescent Medicine specialists. Most pediatric hospitals have an Adolescent Medicine team and your transplant team can provide a referral for care. These specialists support teens and young adults by providing medical management and counseling for reproductive healthcare needs as well as offering education on safer sex practices and STI testing and treatment. They’re also skilled at addressing topics that teens may find embarrassing or difficult to discuss.
- Plan for the transition to adult care. As your teen gets older, they will need routine appointments with an adult primary care provider (PCP) who can address issues about reproductive health. Female patients should establish care with a gynecologist before they transfer to adult care. These providers will partner with the transplant team so that every aspect of your teen’s health—including sexual health—is supported.
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