When you are having sex, protection is vital. It is
important to know that protection against sexually transmitted diseases and
safe birth control methods are different matters. For birth control, you should
use chemical contraceptives, because these methods have lower failure rates
than barrier methods. However, chemical contraceptives do not protect you from
diseases. It would be best if you used a combination of the two. When you use
chemical contraceptives and you should take antibiotics or any other medicine,
you should ask your gynecologist whether the other medicines can alter the
effectiveness of your birth control method. When you use condom to prevent
sexually transmitted diseases STDs, be careful with lubricants. Oil based lubricants can damage condoms.
Select water-based or silicone-based lubricants. You should also consider that
male condoms are safer than female condoms.
Everybody knows that having unprotected sex means that you
are putting your health at risk. You may expose yourself to several diseases:
chlamydia, genital warts, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, herpes, HIV (human
immunodeficiency virus, the virus that causes AIDS), human papilloma virus
(which can lead to some cancers), pelvic inflammatory disease, syphilis,
trichomoniasis.
Using condoms makes vaginal and anal sex safer. Some might
believe that one does not have to use protection when they only have oral sex.
It is not true, there can be tiny wounds in the mouth (probably coming from
brushing teeth) and body fluids can get into the blood stream. Unprotected oral sex is not safe. You are at risk of getting gonorrhea, HPV, hepatitis B, and
herpes, even HIV. You may use a dental dam – a thin pieces of latex –, placing
it on the genital area when a sexual partner uses their tongue on it. Its specific,
FDA-approved version is a Sheer Glyde dam.
Sex play without penetration is safer than any protected
intercourse, but it still has some risk of getting HPV or herpes.
Be careful with unprotected sex, even if you live in a
stable relationship. Probably your long-time partner does not know about a
minor STD they happen to have, or probably they do not admit that they STDs or
other, short-term sexual relationships.
Using sex toys is also relatively safe, provided you clean
them from your body fluids after use so that to get rid of bacteria. Clean your
sex toys very thoroughly if your partner also uses them, otherwise the toys are
just as risky as a real partner. You can use a condom on your sex toys.
Never use any breakable product – like glass – on yourself
or your partner!
Safe sex also includes having a partner whom you can more or
less trust and who will not use your trust against you. Your partner is
supposed to respect your limits, they care about your well-being and health,
and, in case they have multiple partners, they use protection and get tested
for STDs.
You can get condoms or dental dams or sex toys at
pharmacies, grocery stores, Planned Parenthood heath centers and sex shops.
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