Practicing Safer Sex

The safest practice of all to prevent STDs and to prevent pregnancy is to not have sex.

No other practice is 100% "safe" when it comes to preventing STDs. However, some practices are "safer" than others.

"Safer" sex means sexual practices that reduce the risk of STD and HIV transmission. There are aspects of safer sex you should know about.

Know your partner. Remember, it is not just your own behavior that can put you at risk, it is also your partner's. From an STD point of view, you are potentially exposed to everything your partner as been exposed to when you have sex with him. Ask about your partner's sexual history and whether he or she has ever used IV drugs. There is no way of knowing for sure if someone has HIV infection without being tested. You and your partner may want to be tested before you begin having sex.

Limit sexual partners. The chances of getting infected with HIV increase with each sexual partner you have. The safest kind of relationship is one in which neither partner has had sex with anyone else.

Avoid risky sex practices. The riskiest sex is vaginal or anal sex without a condom. Anal sex poses the most risk because it is more likely to tear or break the skin. This makes it easier for HIV (from an infected partner) to enter the bloodstream and for other STDs to be transmitted.

Hugging, kissing, massage, and fondling are all thought to be safer sex. Mutual masturbation also poses less risk.

Use latex condoms, each and every time you have sex, particularly if you are still on the dating scene and not in a long term mutually monogamous relationship. While they don't offer 100% protection against HIV and AIDS, they do substantially decrease the risks, when use properly.

Click here to see the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’s pamphlet on Preventing STDs.