Safe Sex | Condoms | the Pill

Explaining Safe Sex

We’ve all heard the term safe sex before. It’s not a mystery. Or at least you wouldn’t think it was. Common sense suggests that males know about condoms and females know about their many contraceptive options. But judging by pregnancy and STD rates, the sad fact seems that sexual education is not high on the list of people’s priorities.

Most literally, safe sex is sexual activity between consenting partners wherein all parties protect themselves against sexually-transmitted diseases and pregnancy. This is incredibly straightforward; protecting one’s self during sexual intercourse equates to safe sex – full stop.

However, the idea of “safe” is relative; safe, in any context, can also mean smart. This is why abstinence is considered the safest form of sex imaginable. Abstaining from sex altogether is the only wholly effective way to prevent against STDs and pregnancy. But this isn’t about preaching a life of abstinence. The truth is that most contraceptive measures are reliable at over a 99% rate.

When you boil it down, safe sex is educated sex. For instance, a married couple will probably not have a box of condoms in the drawer for protection. They rely on other contraceptives if needed. A single person, on the other hand, should always wear protection when getting involved sexually with anyone. Being smart about how you approach sex is how you engage in safe sex.

Tips for Having Safe Sex

There are many, many ways to have safe sex. There is no excuse whatsoever for anyone to deal with an unwanted pregnancy or any type of STDs. You can take plenty of measures to ensure that you’re safe. It’s the failure to act in an educated manner that leads to the spread of STDs and to the astronomical rate of pregnancies.

As long as you’re a willing participant in sex, you have no excuse for not engaging in safe sex. None. You can also have great—and extremely safe!—sex without engaging with a partner whatsoever. So when you factor rabbits and other great toys into the equation, there is really no reason to lead a safe, healthy sexual life.

Below, we will cover a few tips you can use when engaging in sex to make sure that you’re always as safe as possible.

Know your Partner

Smart sex means that it’s always best if you know your partner. No, this guide isn’t standing on a soapbox and preaching the wonders of abstinence; however, knowing your sexual partner and having a level of (provable) trust is just the safe play.

It helps if both you and your partner are tested for STDs. Some STDs can be stopped with a condom. Some STDs can even be prevented in women with an injection early in their lives. But others, like crabs, herpes, and other STDs, will still be passed along. So always know your partner.

Intercourse isn’t the Only Way

Some people think that sexual intercourse (penetration) is the only way to spread diseases, so they won’t focus on safe sex if they’re only engaging in make-out sessions and oral sex. But this is a wrongheaded approach. As mentioned above, herpes, crabs and other STDs can still be passed along while wearing protection, and many of these can still be passed along through oral sex.

Try some Self-Love

Masturbation is always the safest type of sex out there. Yeah, abstinence definitely has its benefits. And don’t feel as if you’ll only be left with hands or fingers either. There are so many sex toys available out there, like lifelike masturbators and clitoris-stimulating vibrators. Just because you’re abstaining from sex doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time!

No Pressure, Please

Feeling pressure to have sex can definitely lead to dumb decisions and unprotected sex. Especially when dealing with teenagers, feeling pressure—either from friends, a boyfriend/girlfriend, or society in general—to have sex usually leads to reluctant intercourse for the sake of satisfying the pressure. Rarely does this type of sex involve condoms, much less any thought of prescreening for STDs. This is exactly how STDs are spread and how pregnancy rates shoot through the roof, so remember you shouldn’t have sex out of any sense of pressure.

Your Body, Your Rights

Following up with the pressure bit, some people want to engage in sex willingly but then feel pressure from their partner not to use protection. You have to put your foot down here. If you’re a girl, don’t feel bad for a guy when he whines about all the many ways condoms upset him. If he wants to be with you, it’s a condom or the hand. His choice. And for sexually active people in general, you should never say no to protection. Your body, your rights!

Stay Prepared

It is very important that you always stay prepared. Being smart and not jumping into bed with random partners is obviously a safer approach than doing so while wearing protection, but having an emergency contraceptive around is just a smart play. You never know when you’ll give in to desire, but as long as you’re carrying some protection, at least you’re increasing your odds of staying safe. At the very least, you can prevent a life-changing occurrence 9 months down the road.

Learn More

The more you learn about unprotected sex, the more likely you are to engage in protected sex. Once those horror stories of STDs and pregnancies are stuck in your mind, you will be a lot more willing to think things through before rushing out to have sex.

Types of Contraception

There are many, many different types of contraception available. Remember, the idea of safe sex isn’t always dealing with a condom or a birth control pill. Those are the main two, but there are many varying types of contraceptives that responsible people can choose from.

Here are just a few of the many contraception options that are available to you out there.

•    Condoms – both male and female versions

•    Birth control pills

•    Cervical cap

•    Diaphragm

•    Contraceptive injections

•    Patches

•    The Shield

•    Contraceptive foam

•    Anti-pregnancy implants

•    The sponge

The list goes on and on. And as you can tell, most of these contraceptive measures are in place to prevent pregnancy. For preventing sexually-transmitted diseases, your options are fewer. You have a condom, of course, and then you have other, more reliable methods – namely abstinence. 

Safe Sex is still enjoyable

One of the most ridiculous claims some individuals make is that they—mostly men, to be sure—failed to wear protection because a contraceptive takes the joy out of sex. Unfortunately, a lot of women inevitably fall for this line and allow men to penetrate them without a condom, feeling a sense of guilt that they—the women—are somehow punishing a man by making him wear protection.

While a condom will slightly desensitize the penis in males, there are actually benefits to wearing one that go beyond protecting against STDs and pregnancy. With a condom on, most men will last a lot longer during intercourse. The feeling is not as physically intense, but the sex overall can be a lot more satisfying, especially for women.

Besides, we live in a consumer market in today’s age. If you want sex to be more enjoyable, there is no reason at all that it can’t be. Just look into purchasing a few toys to spice things up in the bedroom. From dildos and vibrators to French maid outfits for role-playing, your options are certainly numerous.

Above all, however, it is very important that you always practice the safest sex possible. Depending on what type of relationship you’re in, “safe” is going to take on a different meaning. But regardless of any relationships, your age, your sexual partners or lack thereof, the idea is to be smart about sex. As long as you can approach sex with a level head and some education, then you can practice safe sex and have a hell of a lot of fun in the process.