STIs don’t just spread through skin to skin contact: you can also pass along—or contract—an STI by sharing a sex toy with a partner. While research on the topic is still evolving, we do know that whenever there’s an exchange of bodily fluids, there is a risk of STI transmission—including when using toys.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t share, though. It just means you need to make sure you’re cleaning toys properly between sexual partners. Toys made out of certain materials also carry a higher risk of transmission than others. 
 

To help you play safe, Kate Fish, a peer support coordinator at the Community-Based Research Centre, offers tips on how to clean your sex toys, what kinds of lubes to use and how condoms can add a further layer of protection.