To protect your health, practice safe sex.
Unless you are trying to become pregnant, everyone should practice safe sex so they don’t get sick.
Because sex is so intimate, many illnesses can be passed along during sex, like:
- HIV / AIDS
- Chlamydia
- Gonorrhea
- Genital Warts
You can find out more about these on this sheet.
There are many ways to practice safe sex.
If you are a man, you should wear a new condom every time you have sex.
- Make sure that the condom doesn’t have any holes.
- Only use water-based lubricants with condoms. Oil-based lubricants like lotion or Vaseline will make holes in a latex condom.
- If you are allergic to latex, you can use a polyethylene condom.
If you are a woman, you can use a dental dam, which is a square piece of latex used during oral sex.
If you are sexually active, it’s a good idea to get tested for diseases often.
Frequent testing for sexually transmitted illnesses not only protects you from getting sick, but it also protects your partner from getting sick!
Testing should be done during your annual medical exam or before you initially have sex with a person.
Visit your doctor or a clinic to get tested.
While you are there, they will take a sample of your blood.
They will call you later with your results.
If you find out that you have a sexually transmitted disease, don’t be scared!
There are treatments for sexually transmitted illnesses that your doctor can explain to you.
Ask lots of questions and write down your doctor’s advice.
If you do take medication for a sexually transmitted disease, make sure you follow all of the directions.
Tell your sexual partners as soon as you can!
One way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases is to practice abstinence.
Abstinence is when you don’t have sex at all.
It’s okay to practice abstinence, especially if you are not in a romantic relationship with anyone.
Some of the benefits of practicing abstinence are:
- You won’t be at risk for sexually transmitted diseases
- You won’t get pregnant
You can also check out these links to find out more about practicing safe sex.
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Safe Sex
- Planned Parenthood