Condoms Provide a Defense

Safe sex or protected sex refers to the practice of any sexual activity in a safe manner and is focused on preventing the propagation of sexually transmitted diseases, normally with the use of contraceptives devises like condoms. Practicing safe sex is in theory impossible since every sexual activity presents some sort of risk, especially when there is fluid exchange between partners, however by using a condom the chances of contracting an infection is reduce drastically.

Oral sex is a form of sexual intercourse whereby a person will stimulate a partner’s vagina, in case of a woman, or penis when on a man, with the use of the mouth and tongue. When the oral sex is performed on a woman it is referred to as cunnilingus and when on a man it is referred to as fellatio. Oral sex can also be performed on the anus for stimulation purposes and this sexual act is referred to as analingus. Contrary to popular believe oral sex is not safe against every sexually transmitted disease, even when performed with extreme caution. Some of the more common diseases transmittable via oral sex include Chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes and hepatitis. To minimize the risks of contamination the best solution is to use condoms and dental dams when performing or receiving oral sex.

Anal sex is a common practice in many Western countries however even thought the risk of contracting an unwanted pregnancy is reduced considerably, in some cases semen from the anus can enter the vagina if special caution is not imposed during penetration and after ejaculation. A condom should always be used when penetrating the anus or vagina because it is the only secure approach to insure both partners are fully protected from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Adolescents reaching their sexual maturity should always use a contraceptive device before initiating sexual intercourse. Health clinics can provide a detailed list of contraceptives that could be used by both the male and female partner while also providing much needed information on how to correctly employ these methods to minimize the risks of contracting a series of sexually transmitted diseases. Health workers will also warn that the more sexual partners a person has, the chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease will be much higher. Safe sex is only possible if both sexual partners take an active role in the prevention process and enforce the use of contraceptives whenever performing any sex act.