2) Protection
3) Testing
4) Lower Risk Sexual Activities
5) Moderate Risk Sexual Activities
6) High Risk Sexual Activities
7) What If?
1) Why Safer Sex?
Sometimes when people say "safer sex” to guys, they may as well say "boring sex.”
But, here's something to think about: each year many many people get infected with diseases such as HIV, herpes, gonorrhea, genital warts (HPV) and Chlamydia. These diseases are just not fun – they cause painful sores, smelly discharge from the vagina or penis, warts, bumps, and other gross stuff. Some of these infections can make it so that you can't have kids, ever. And some of these infections can eventually cause death! You can get these infections from any kind of sex - vaginal, oral, and anal sex. The scariest part is that many of these STDs have few or no symptoms, so you can just keep passing them on to partners without even knowing it, and partners can pass them to you as well!
Obviously, the more people either one of you have had sex with, the greater the chance of getting these diseases. That's why they say when you have sex with someone; you're also having sex with everyone they've ever been with
Safer sex does not have to mean boring sex! Many people who use condoms find sex to be just as enjoyable because they aren’t secretly stressing that their partner is giving them an infection. Whatever slight issue you may have with using a condom is usually trumped by the peace of mind that you are taking care of yourself and your future and you can’t beat that!
Also, each year thousands of people get pregnant without wanting to, and if you're not practicing safer sex, you could too. If you're not ready to be a Dad, too bad. You may not have much of a choice. Once a woman is pregnant, the choice is hers.
2) How can you be safer when you have sex?
The only foolproof way to be sure you're not going to get these diseases or not get your partner pregnant is to not have sex. But if you and your partner choose to have sex, you really need to use a rubber. Make sure you've always got one on you. You don't want to have to run to the store when things are getting hot and heavy – it tends to kill the moment! Talk with your partner about using one, even though that may not be easy. Guys say that girls think we are only after one thing if we bring a condom: sex. And if we don't carry a condom, that we don't care about others. The real story is: you are after one thing – being SAFE, so bring them with you. How to bring up using condoms with your partner.
It's not a bad idea to talk to your partner if you feel you can before having sex. It's not easy discussing other people's histories, but it will give you an idea of what the odds are of you picking up an STD from your partner.
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3) Testing
Above all, take all the precautions you can until you're absolutely 100% sure that you are both infection-free and are just having sex with each other. Even then, it's still a good idea to get an STD test. Some STDs take months to show up, and some never show symptoms at all so you can’t rely on symptoms to tell you if you have one.
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4) Lower Risk Sexual Activities
Here's a list of sexual activities you can do that are less likely to give you an STD:
- Kissing
- Masturbation
- Oral sex with a condom or dental dam (female covering)
- Touching or fondling
- Sexy massage
- Fantasy
- Body-to-body rubbing, like “grinding” or “dry humping”
- Playing with sex toys (alone or with someone else) (but STD’s can pass from one person to another on sex toys, so don’t share them)
5)
High Risk Sexual Activities
And the actions most likely to pass infections from one sexual partner to another are
- Sex if you've taken drugs or have been drinking
- Vaginal intercourse without a condom
- Anal intercourse without a condom
- Sharing needles for the injection of drugs or other purposes
Another thing is if you notice any sores or discharge from our around your partner's genitals, it may be a good time to suggest going out to a movie or something because it's not a good time for sex! These sores usually mean some sort of infection and you can help your partner go to a doctor or clinic or Planned Parenthood and get tested. Offer to go with her and you get tested as well. Don't have sex again until you know you're both clean and safe.
7) What If?
Finally, what if you notice any unusual symptoms on you? Get it checked out. Click here to find out how you might know if you have an STD. If by chance you do end up with an STD, definitely get it treated right away. Some you can get rid of, and others they can help you with the symptoms. And let your partner or partners know right away. Also, some of these infections don't have symptoms, so it's good to get tested at least once a year. If you have many partners and are having risky sex, you should get checked more often.
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