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SAFE SEX

Nobody has a body to die for. Safe sex is always better! It's fun, and you don't have to worry as much.

Safe sex means making sure you don't get anyone else's blood, semen, vaginal fluids, or breast milk in your body -- and protecting your partners too! Condoms, latex surgical gloves, and plastic wrap are the only way to protect yourself and your partner from STDs and HIV, but they're not foolproof. You've got to use them correctly every time you have sex.

Safer sex does not just entail wearing a condom, but also includes keeping clean, knowing what to avoid and making the right decisions. Couples must be conscious of the potential dangers and avoid engaging in risky behavior. There are a number of fluids involved in sex - urine, feces, semen, vaginal secretions, saliva, and blood - fluids with which either partner can come into contact through the course of virtually any form of sexual activity. Many of these fluids are excellent carriers of disease, and should be handled with care.

For many, safer sex has become a chore, something that you do so you don’t suffer the consequences. The portrayal of safer sex in the media is often sterile, almost medical. We are bombarded with images and advice about safer sex. Condom companies market their products on television, AIDS activists make us fear for our lives (and rightly so!) and news stories tell us about the ever increasing number of unwanted pregnancies. The fact that many of us have to change our behavior is quite clear; sex can be dangerous in certain ways with certain people. But wait a minute, sex is supposed to be fun, to be a means of expressing love, and of sharing in one another. Well, sex can still be fun, it just has to be practiced in a newfangled way. Hopefully some of the suggestions below will help you to learn some new tricks to being safe and having pleasurable, satisfying sex.

Condoms	Dental Dams	Vaginal / Anal Sex	Foreplay
Oral Sex	Abstinence	Risky Sex	Safe Ideas

What is a condom?

 Condoms are a thin rubber tube which fits over the man's erect penis before intercourse. When the man ejaculates, he does so into the condom which prevents the sperm from entering the vagina. Most condoms are made of latex and when coated with spermicide are considered an effective means of protection from pregnancy and the spread of STDs. There are other condoms available which are made of animal intestine but these are less effective for disease prevention. Experiment with a wide range of style and varieties. The trying is almost as fun as the finding! Try a variety of different condoms. Experiment with the length, thickness and features of the condom. Some condoms come with ribbing or ridges that act to increase stimulation for the receiving partner. Other condoms come with flavoring and fun colors as a pleasant alternative. Some uncircumcised men find that condoms can interfere with their foreskin, making sex unenjoyable. Condom companies have new styles with "more head room" designed to solve this problem.

How effective are condoms? 

When condoms are used properly, they are about 95% effective in the prevention of pregnancy. When condoms are used with spermicidal foam, their effectiveness rate is nearly 100%. Furthermore, condoms provide excellent protection from the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, although the exact rates of success are unknown. The latex condom is the recommended form of STD and pregnancy prevention.

 How are condoms used? 

When using a condom, you check for holes and review the expiry date. (Note: never carry a condom in a hot, confined place such as your wallet. Always ensure they are kept out of direct sunlight.) Just before you put on the condom, spread some water-based lubricant on the head of your penis. The glands is then gently massaged by the lubricant as intercourse takes place. As you can imagine this technique is quite popular, and the enjoyment starts the minute you run to the bedroom and try it! Squeeze the tip to release the air and create room for the semen. There should be a compressed tip on the end of the condom. Next slide the condom down the shaft of the penis. Some rolled latex will remain at the base of the penis to make it easier to pull the condom off after ejaculation. Be sure that your fingernails or jewelry do not damage or rip the condom. 

After orgasm, the man should hold the base of the condom during withdrawal from the vagina or anus. After the condom is away from the genitals of the partner, the condom can be safely removed. 

Remember:

• Never use a condom more than once.

• Always use a latex condom for effective prevention of STDs.

• Lubricated condoms offer more protection from breakage and spillage of semen.

• Always use water-based lubricants.

• You can double up condoms during vigorous sex. Use an unlubricated condom on the bottom, and a lubricated one on the top.

• Unlubricated condoms are best for oral sex.

• Practical concerns when using condoms

One of the problems with a condom is that you must interrupt foreplay momentarily to put it on. Some people get wrapped up in the moment and forget to practice safer sex. Making the condom a part of your sexual ritual will go a long way to ensuring proper use. An additional incentive to use condoms are the many varieties and brands to choose from. Condoms come in different sizes and some have special ridges to increase enjoyment for both partners. Experiment with different brands until you find the one that is best for you.  Another concern is that latex condoms are weakened by oil based lubricants such as Vaseline, edible oils and medications. If you wish to use lubricants during sex play make sure that they are water based.

The condom is the most widely used method for safer sex. Although the condom is one of the best ways to protect against several STDs, many men and women complain that the condom tends to ‘dull the feeling’, making sex less pleasurable. Well, you’re going to have to live with a little reduction in sensation, because latex does act to cover the nerves that produce pleasure on the penis, and alter the feeling of the penis in the vagina for the woman. However, all is not lost - there are ways to increase sensation for you and your partner when wearing a condom.

What is a dental dam?

A dental dam is basically a small sheet of latex which acts as a barrier between the vagina or anus and the mouth. Dental dams get their name because they are used during dental surgery such as root canals. Due to the possible infectious secretions from both the vagina and anus, the dental dam is becoming a more popular safer sex tool. With the introduction of different colors, shapes and sizes, manufacturers are adding some exciting changes to what once was sterile translucent-white latex.

You use a dental dam to go down on a woman or to rim. The dental dam is held in place with your hands, between one partners mouth and the others vagina/anus. The idea is to NOT FLIP IT OVER. If you like you can place some lubricant on either side.. flavored for the mouth, any kind of water based (see below) for the other side .. it creates a nice "wet" feeling if you do!

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Sometimes it can be hard to get two hands and a face to the persons erogenous zones.. if this is true, use a garter belt! It's a little hard to describe, but, if you try it does work. The garter belt buckles are used to hold each corner of the dam in place, leaving your hands free to caress other things!

Dental dams have a nasty powder on them to keep them from sticking.. many people are allergic to this so be sure to wash them before use with WATER ONLY. 

If you do not have a dental dam on hand , or simply don't like the bubble gum scent or thickness you can make one! Simply cut the tip off a rolled up dry condom, cut the side, and unroll.. viola! one very thin dental dam.

How effective are dental dams?

Dental dams are an extremely effective means of preventing infection from vaginal or anal secretions. There is little data available on rates of infection after use of the dental dam. There are a few important concerns which may reduce the effectiveness of the barrier. Before you use the dam, lightly rinse it off with warm water. Dry with a towel. Then check to be sure the dam is free of holes or breakage. You can check the dam before you use it by holding it up to light or seeing if water is able to pass through it. Finally, ensure that only one side of the dam comes in contact with the genitals, and that the dam is used only once. Otherwise you are defeating the whole purpose of using the dam in the first place. Only use water based lubricants when using dental dams.

How do you use dental dams?

Dental dams are not the most difficult piece of protection to use. Some people prefer that the person performing oral sex should hold the dam so that the receiver can just sit back and relax. Others think that the receiver should hold the dam so the other partner has his/her hands free for other stimulation. As an alternative, some dental dams are now made with an adhesive strip which will hold the dam in place. Remember to use some water based lubricant on the vagina or anus beforehand to increase the amount of stimulation received.

Practical concerns with dental dams

People often approach dental dams with the fear that the normally intense stimulation of the tongue will be lessened by the sheet of latex. The feeling of a dental dam is different than the feeling of a tongue but it does not necessarily make it a bad thing. Use plenty of water based lubricant and one partner can play with the latex in his/her mouth to provide their partner with a new type of stimulation. The use of a dam is up to you. Oral sex is considered to be less dangerous a practice than intercourse, and fellatio is often less dangerous than oral-anal sex. The level of protection you decide to use is your choice, but the safest sex dictates you use a dental dam at all times.

Vaginal/Anal Sex

Most foreplay is perfectly safe, and is often as pleasurable as sex itself. Safer sex couples who want to get the most out of every bit of lovemaking will stretch foreplay until both are near or approaching climax. Put that condom on and enjoy each other, sex after lasting foreplay will help you forget the condom is even there. Experiment with which partner puts the condom on. Try to incorporate the activity into your sexual ‘routine’. Be creative with the before and after, and always make it fun!

Practicing safer sex is indeed much more involved than simply wearing a condom. Couples must be conscious of the potential dangers and avoid engaging in risky behavior.

There are a number of fluids involved in sex - urine, feces, semen, vaginal secretions, saliva, and blood - fluids with which either partner can come into contact through the course of virtually any form of sexual activity. Many of these fluids are excellent carriers of disease, and should be handled with care.

Never have vaginal sex after anal sex without washing first. The feces carry many organisms that can infect the vagina, and can be transferred by a penis, dildo, mouth or finger like a bee transfers pollen. Wash well or use a different condom to make sure you don't cause infection.

Never share condoms, dildos or sex toys. A condom should only ever be used once. If you do plan to use a sex toy or dildo that was used by someone else, remember to wash it well with soap and water. If you are really unsure, you can even use bleach to clean these items, and rinse them extremely well, or put a condom over the object.

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Oral Sex

The main philosophy of any safer sex is Keep your bodily fluids to yourself  There are three kinds or oral contact that can be a risk for contracting HIV or STDS (did you know gonorrhea can occur in the throat?) Oral-Vaginal (Clitoral) Contact, Oral-Anal Contact, and Oral-Penile Contact aka.. "going down on her, rimming and blowing him." The two main tools to safer oral sex are dental dams and UNLUBRICATED or "dry" condoms.

There is some risk involved in having unprotected oral sex with a man or a woman. It is not as risky as unprotected anal or vaginal sex, but it is still possible to get HIV this way. There have been a few documented cases where HIV has been transmitted this way. HIV is found in blood, semen (cum), vaginal fluids, and breast milk. The virus can transmitted through cuts, openings, sores, and mucous membranes (mouth, anus, vagina) on your body.

To avoid risks during oral sex it is important to:

• Keep semen and vaginal fluids out of your mouth.
• Make sure that your mouth is healthy and that you don't have bleeding gums, cuts, or mouth sores, because the presence of blood will increase your risk.

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