When approaching the topic of safe sex, the typical first
response is something along the lines of; "No sex until
marriage!" or “If you make love, where a glove”. In a nutshell,
those are the core of most discussions on safe sex.
Although many communities have rules about when a person is
and is not allowed to have sex, rules have a tendency of making
perceived problems worse then they would have been if left
alone… so unsurprisingly, they aren’t working that well.
Although we can not disagree with the fact that abstinence is
likely the only way to avoid unwanted pregnancy and STDs, the
social construct created in at least the western world is not in
tune with that philosophy.
Rather then dwelling on when the right time is for everybody,
we would just like to remind everyone to stay in tune with their
own bodies, and to stay true to themselves as much as possible.
If the person you are with isn’t willing to wait for you to be
ready, then you can fill this part in yourself...
That said, when you are ready to have sex, you will already
know that safe sex is a responsibility of all parties involved,
and that knowledge and practice, are the best tools to making
sex fun, positive and safe. Use a condom, every time, for any
reason, and you will be much less likely to have a problem.
HealthforMenGuide.com's Rubber Reminders
Performing safe sex is recommended whenever possible, but we
can not stress the importance enough of using it when with a new
partner.
1.
Whenever possible, use latex condoms over other materials.
2.
Since no birth control method is bullet proof, a condom is great
backup.
3.
Condoms are a great way to keep toys clean for multi-hole
penetration.
4.
Using a latex glove for finger penetration prevents cuts from
fingernails.
5.
Using dental dams for oral sex can prevent fluid transfer from a
cut lip or gum.
6.
ONLY use water-based lubricants with latex as oil based products
destroy it.
In one recent U.S. study* about one-half of the sexually
experienced teenagers had failed to use a condom the last time
they had intercourse. So for all the kids, bumping and grinding
and forgetting to wrap it up, this next section is a taste of
reality that can be easy to forget about until it happens to
you.
Sexually
Transmitted Diseases
Well, that was our pitchy intro, hope you got the point. A
little "finger wagging" as our mother’s would say, and now comes
the stats. These are important, so pay attention. They provide
the foundation for answering the too often asked ‘what are the
odds that I’ll catch something this time?’ question, and should
convince you that this is a serious affair affecting at least 40
million people around the world every year.
AIDS / HIV
We will begin by looking at the AIDS epidemic. In 1997 2.3
million people were estimated to have died worldwide from the
disease. Though that number may be coming down in western
countries, the number of people contracting the disease is
certainly going up. And over the last twenty or so years over
half a million people have died in the USA from AIDS, and it
still registers as the primary killer of people ages 25-44. What
is the most scary part of this epidemic in North America is the
fact that the number of HIV (the virus that causes AIDS)
positive teenagers doubles every 14 months.
Q: What is driving these seemingly out of control numbers?
A: up to 80% of infected Americans don’t know that they are
carrying the virus.
In an attempt to even the playing field I have included a
brief description of what HIV/AIDS is and how it is spread. HIV
is the virus that causes AIDS and is spread when semen, vaginal
fluid or blood passes from an HIV positive person into the
bloodstream of another person. To enter the bloodstream, the
virus must enter through a break in the skin or tissue in the
mouth, vagina or rectum, or, enter the tip of the penis. The
virus then breaks down our immune systems that fight off
infection and other illnesses. People tend to contract fairly
harmless bacterial or viral contagions, which under normal
immune operating conditions would simply keep you in bed for a
couple of days, but when the immune system doesn’t work even a
common cold can be fatal.
The World Health Organization says that in the first five
years of the new century, half of all new infections world-wide
will occur between the ages 15-19, and the fastest growing
infection rates are among young women. This means that this
issue is most pressing for our young people. We can no longer
afford to not talk about it, or not educate our children about
sex and their responsibilities.
Other STD's
The fact that AIDS and HIV are so dangerous should not reduce
our concern over other types of sexually transmitted diseases
(STD’s). Left untreated, sexually transmitted diseases can cause
infertility, cancer, birth defects and miscarriages - even
death. This being said, with the amount of treatments available
and easily accessible, Americans still suffer 10 to 50 times
more sexually transmitted diseases than people in other
developed countries. This highlights the alarming deficit of
knowledge within the general population and need for greater
dissemination of preventative methods and awareness of the
risks.
To further examine this problem in the US and Canada it is
astounding that sexually transmitted diseases are diagnosed 12
million times a year in the United States -- including 3 million
cases among teenagers. In light of massive empirical evidence
suggesting that perhaps there may be a problem, the U.S. spends
just $1 to prevent sexually transmitted illnesses for every $43
spent treating them. Gonorrhea strikes 150 times per 100,000
Americans, vs. just three times per 100,000 people in Sweden and
18 per 100,000 in Canada.
There is strong evidence that sexually transmitted diseases
greatly increase the risk of sexual transmission of HIV, and
thus are not something to exclude from any discussion of safe
sexual practices..
What about
Oral sex?
Is oral sex safe? Well, yes and no. This is certainly not to
say that there are no risks, though unprotected oral sex is
generally considered less risky then unprotected vaginal or anal
sex. Since the lining of the mouth is less permeable than the
lining of the lower orifices, there is a less likely chance of
getting a small tear from the activity. That being said, if a
cut is already there (e.g. cut during flossing), then it can be
equally dangerous.
To minimize your risk while engaging in oral sex follow some
suggestions for experimenting with at least new partners:
·
Use condoms or dental dams whenever possible
·
If you decide to roll the dice on the first tip, avoid
ejaculating in someone's mouth
·
If you see something suspicious, put the fantasy on hold until a
doctor clears it
·
Floss and brush regularly - but not right before oral sex
·
Above all, get tested and know your status, so that you can help
protect others
Remember to take things slow, and that behind every unwanted
pregnancy or STD infection, is a person thinking it wouldn't
happen to them.
Male
Condom
Female
Condom
How To Properly Put on a Male Condom
Related
Links
