Staph aureus (STD?)

I have 4 skin abcesses diagnosed as Staph aureus Dr says it an STD, prescribed Bactrin and Chlorhexidine to wash with every day indefinitley.How is this transmitted and how do I protect my sex partners from it?an d can one contract it with oral sex ?. I am male. Must I really use this Chlorhexidine indefinitely? Finally, is it and STD and how could I have contracted it?

It can be an STD because it can be transferred through sexual contact. Staph. aureus is typically an opportunistic pathogen and is present as normal flora on the skin, nose, and throat. However, there too it could become a pathogen if given the right circumstances (a cut, a compromised immune system). It is a major cause of toxic shock syndrom so if you accidentally transferred it to a woman through oral sex (since the nose and throat are both connected to the mouth) she could develope it since it's not supposed to be in the vagina. However I think that is unlikely since Staph aureus is mostly associated in TSS when tampon use is also involved.

I'm not a doctor, but I find it strange that yours would jump to STD as a conclusion for a skin infection. I guess it depends on where your skin lesions are. If it's on your arms, for example, I would find it more likely that it was on your skin first and probably got in through a cut.

You can protect your sexual partners by using a condom, maintaining good hygeine, and/or abstaining completely until the infection goes away. Again, how you prevent it is largely based on where the abscesses are.

Also, you should use the medications that your doctor tells you to for as long as he tells you to. If you are unsure that his prescription is accurate get a second opinion before discontinuing use. Doing so can breed resistance in the bacteria and will make it harder to fight these pathogens in the future.