Sexual health is a top priority for everyone. It’s important to understand what can harm your body and sex life and how to avoid these threats. Safe sex refers to sexual activities with your sex partner that is safe and appropriate for your individual reproductive health. Hence, researching ways to stay safe when sexually active is essential. Your top priority should be keeping your sex life safe. This blog post will discuss steps for having safe sex, its benefits, and other things.
In This Article
What is safe sex?
Safe sex refers to the practice of using condoms or other forms of birth control to avoid getting pregnant or contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Condoms prevent STDs by covering the genitals and preventing bodily fluids from mixing together. Dental dams prevent STDs by covering the vulva or mouth during sexual activity. Safe sex can prevent the spread of STDs and help reduce the risk of pregnancy.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all sexually active people use birth control, even if they think their chances of having an unplanned pregnancy or STDs are low.
Safe sex is important because it can prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. Herpes, Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis are all common STDs. Chlamydia is the most common STD in the US. However, it’s easily treated with antibiotics. Gonorrhoea is also easily treated with antibiotics. Herpes can be cured with antiviral drugs, but sometimes the herpes virus can come back. Syphilis is very rare in the US today, but it can lead to serious health problems if left untreated. {1}
How to practice safe sex?
Following safe sex, practices is a must for everyone if they want to enjoy their sex life to the fullest with being sexually healthy. There are various ways out there by following which one can practice safe sex. Some of which are mentioned below:
- Safe sex means using protection every time you have sex. Condoms reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections like HIV, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, syphilis, hepatitis B virus, genital herpes, and human papillomavirus, and with that, it also prevents unwanted pregnancy.
- Try to have sex with an only partner who hasn’t been in contact with any type of sexually transmitted infection, and it is the safest way to practice safer sex; if you have multiple sex partners, be aware and look out for any symptoms of STIs.
- Be STI-free by getting tested for common infections and having treatment if necessary, especially if you have a new partner. Avoid sexual contact until the doctor or nurse tells you that you are no longer infectious and until both you and your partner have been treated.
- Always get checked for HIV and other STIs at least once a year, or more often if you’re at high risk. If you have a positive test result for an STI, make sure to get treatment as soon as possible to prevent further infection in your partner(if any).
- Be familiar with your sexual anatomy and have open communication with your partner, so you know how your body works and what to look out for in terms of warning signs of infection or other issues.
- Practice safer oral sex with a dental dam, especially if your partner has an open sore on their genitals.
- Stay away from alcohol and other types of drugs before having else it may affect your ability to make good decisions, and as a result, you can end up having unsafe sex, which could lead to bigger problems.
- Go for other contraceptions available in the market other than condoms to avoid unplanned and unwanted pregnancy in any scenario.
Benefits of Safer Sex:
Talking about the benefits of safer sex, there are many benefits from sexual health to mental and physical health. Here are a few prominent benefits of having safer sex with your sex partners.
- Safe sex protects against unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which can cause serious health problems. Having a sexually transmitted disease can also damage your relationships and cause social stigma.
- Safe sex can protect you against certain cancers and diseases, such as HPV and AIDS.
- It increases your quality of life by reducing the stress and anxiety that come with unplanned pregnancies and STIs.
- Having safe sex also helps maintain mental peace as you don’t need to worry about getting up with any sexually transmitted disease or infection. Moreover, when you are having safe sex, you also cut down the risk of unplanned pregnancy, which in return helps you enjoy your intimate moment with your partner. Thus, protecting your mental health at the same time, you are protecting yourself against STIs and unwanted pregnancies.
For these reasons, it’s crucial to have safe sex to protect yourself and your sex partner.
What types of safe sex are there?
Types of safe sex just refer to different forms of practicing sex in which you can protect yourself from unwanted issues without missing out on your excitement and sexual desires.
1. Vaginal Sex: Using a male or female condom while having vaginal sexual intercourse with your partner will help you to have safe sex.
2. Oral Sex: As you are moving towards safer sex, it doesn’t mean you have to avoid oral sex and miss out on all the fun, but you can use a dental dam or condom and carry on with your fun.
3. Anal Sex: In this form of sex also, you can carry on your normal anal sex position without any worries of unsafe sex while using a male or female condom.{2}
What are the factors that play a role in safe sex?
Going for safer sex is a decision chosen by many people, but some factors influence their decisions. There are several factors that influence safe sex. Some of them are:
1. Intrapersonal factors: Decisions influenced by intrapersonal factors such as one’s personal beliefs on sexual abstinence, religious convictions, and personal moral values are also taken into account when making a decision on whether or not to practice safer sex.
2. Environmental factors: Environmental factors such as community norms on sexuality and the availability of resources such as contraceptives and other reproductive health services can also play a role in decision-making and plays an important role in having safer sex.
3. Interpersonal factors: Interpersonal factors include the age difference between partners and communication style between partners. It can also include peer pressure, general societal perceptions of the use of condoms, and the type of power structure that exists in a sexual relationship.
4. Sexual behaviour: Sexual behaviour, such as the frequency of sexual intercourse, is also a factor that can have an effect on the decision to practice safer or not. A sexual relationship that is more frequent can increase the likelihood of having unprotected intercourse and hence increase the risk of contracting an STI or unintended pregnancy.
What to do if you are at risk of unsafe sex?
If you had unsafe sex by any chance, you might be at risk of unplanned pregnancy or at the risk of sexually transmitted infections, so you should follow these steps:-
1. Visit your doctor: Always visit your doctor as soon as you realize you have had unsafe sexual practices, as it will help you get the right treatment for the same and guide you in the right direction to have healthier sexual life ahead.
2. Use emergency contraception: If you are at risk of unintended pregnancy, you can use emergency contraception pills to reduce the chances of getting pregnant. These pills should be taken under 72 hours since you had unprotected sex.
3. Get tested for STIs: Visit your doctor and get tested for sexually transmitted infections to find out whether you are infected or not and, if so, what type of infection you have contracted. Antibiotics can help prevent further complications if you have contracted an STI. If you have been diagnosed with an STI, get treated as soon as possible to prevent further complications in the future.
4. Post-exposure prophylaxis: If you have had unprotected intercourse with an infected partner and you are at high risk of getting infected with an STI, post-exposure prophylaxis can be used to prevent an infection from developing after exposure to a high-risk partner. However, this treatment is only recommended for people with a high risk of getting infected, such as people with multiple partners who have tested positive for STDs or HIV-positive people.{3}
In conclusion:
Consistent, safe sexual intercourse allows you to enjoy quality intimacy without worrying too much about STIs and unplanned pregnancies. Yet always remember that having unsafe sex is highly risky though it is filled with lots of excitement but not worth it if you get caught up by any virus or pregnancy, so it’s always better to be safe than be sorry at last!
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References:
{1} Sexually Transmitted Disease – Centres of Disease Control and Prevention
