Safe Sex
“It’s not love if it’s not gloved”
AIDS, bacterial vaginosis, chancroid, chlamydial infections, cytomegalovirus infections, genital herpes, genital (venereal) warts, gonorrhoea, granuloma inguinal, leukemia/lymphoma/myelopathy, lymphogranuloma venereum, molluscum contaiousum, pubic lice, scabies, syphilis, trichomoniasis, vaginal yeast infections.
All of the above are STDs – Sexually Transmitted Diseases – and they can all be prevented by practicing safe sex. Some of them are even fatal if not diagnosed and treated immediately.
What is safe sex? Safe sex is also known as safer sex. It is different ways of being sexual while trying to minimise the odds of contracting any one (or more) STDs, particularly AIDS. That way this is done is by minimizing the exchange of bodily fluids (ie., semen, vaginal secretions, blood), usually done by using latex barriers such as condoms and dental dams for intercourse and oral sex. AlDS can be minimized by limiting sexual practices to less risky ones. An example of that would be mutual masturbation.
STDs are infectious conditions transmitted through sexual activity - vaginal, oral or anal. Some of the sexually transmitted diseases can be easily treated, especially if diagnosed early enough, but unfortunately there for many of them, there is no cure, and these incurable STDs tend to be the most common and longest lasting. Some, for example HIV and Hepatitis B and C, can have serious health consequences.
A person can have any of the STDs without any symptoms. If that is the case, then they may be unaware that they have an infection and may be passing it on each time they have sex, whether intercourse or oral.
There is only one way to guarantee 100% to never contract an STD is to never have sex. What this means is that if you do have sex, you need to consider ways, safe ways, that you can reduce your risk of contracting an infection, or even passing on an STD that you may not know you have! There are a number of various ways, various strategies that you can use. Some of them relate to whom you have sex with, while others relate to what you do while you hare having sex. You just need to choose whichever strategy works the best for your situation – they don’t all work the same for everyone.
To achieve safe sex, it is essential to make sure that your partner’s fluids (blood, semen, vaginal fluids) do not get in your body, and vise versa. But it can also mean to avoid contact or cover up any part of the body that might be infectious – for example, herpes sores or warts.
With some sex practices it is easy to avoid any transfer of body fluids, ie. mutual masturbation (hand jobs), massage, etc.
Oral sex carries a lower risk of transmitting most, but not all, of the STDs. If you have oral sex, you can reduce the risk of infection by following these guidelines:
using condoms or dental dams
not getting blood, semen, or vaginal fluids in your mouth
avoiding oral sex if you have any mouth sores (mouth ulcers or bleeding gums)
not brushing your teeth immediately before oral sex (leaves parts of your gums susceptible to germ transmission)
don't give your partner oral sex when you have cold sores (Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus.)
If you are going to be using sex toys (ie, vibrators, dildos, butt plugs, vegetables, etc.) put a condom on it! Don't switch the toy from butthole to vagina, or from one person's body to another, until you put a new condom on it. A lot of people think that putting on a condom is too much work, but you can make it fun and thoroughly erotic!
In this day and age, practicing safe sex is essential with the outbreak of HIV and HVB. HIV stands for Human immunodeficiency Virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). It is a serious and often fatal disease of the immune system transmitted through blood products especially by sexual contact or contaminated needles. HVB stands for Hepatitis B Virus. It is a viral liver disease that may be acute or chronic, and can be life-threatening.
Anyone can contract HIV – is it not gender specific, nor sexually orientation specific, nor Ethnic specific. It can infect everyone: African Americans, disabled people, minorities, older people, gay men, sexy workers, hemophiliacs, prisoners, heterosexual men, lesbians, sexual abuse victims, substance users, the homeless, immigrants women, young people, Latinos/as, military people and everyone in between! It does not hunt down and specifically seek out gays and lesbians (as a lot of people ‘think’).
You might not know if you’ve been infected with HIV. Some people get a fever, headache, sore muscles and joints, stomach ache, swollen lymph glands, or a skin rash for one or two weeks. Most people think it's the flu. Some people have no symptoms at all.
The virus tends to multiply in your body for a few weeks, or even a few months, before your immune system responds. During this time, you won't test positive for HIV, but you can infect other people. When your immune system responds, it starts to make antibodies. When this happens, you will test positive for HIV.
After the first ‘flu-like’ symptoms, some people with HIV stay healthy for ten years or longer, not even knowing that they have been infected, but during this time, HIV is damaging your immune system.
One way to measure the damage to your immune system is to count your CD4+ cells (cluster of differentiation cells). These cells, which are also called ‘T-helper’ cells, are a major part of the immune system. Healthy people have between 500 and 1,500 CD4+ cells in a millilitre of blood. Without treatment, your CD4+ cell count will most likely go down. You might start having signs of HIV disease like fevers, night sweats, diarrhea, or swollen lymph nodes. If you have HIV disease, these problems will last more than a few days, and probably continue for several weeks.
To date, there is no cure for AIDS. There are drugs that can slow down the HIV virus, and slow down the damage to your immune system. But, there is no way to ‘clear’ HIV from the body.
Other drugs can be used to prevent or treat opportunistic infections (OIs). In most cases, these drugs work very well. The newer, stronger anti-HIV drugs have also helped reduce the rates of most OIs. A few OIs, however, are still very difficult to treat.
HBV usually caused by a virus, although it can also be caused by long-term overuse of alcohol or other toxins/drugs.
Although there are several different types of Hepatitis, Hepatitis B is a type that can move from one person to another through blood and/or other bodily fluids. It can be transmitted through sexual intercourse and through needles - such as those used add shared by intravenous drug or steroid users who have the virus, or tattoo needles that haven't been properly sterilized. A pregnant woman can also pass Hepatitis B to her unborn baby. You cannot catch Hepatitis B from an object, such as a toilet seat!!
Hepatitis B symptoms may feel similar to those caused by other viral infections, such as the flu. For example, you may feel tired, nauseous, and lose your appetite. You might be nauseated or have a mild fever, or may experience vomiting, abdominal pain, or pain underneath your right ribcage where the liver is located.
Hepatitis B can also cause jaundice, which is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, and may cause the urine to appear brownish.
Some people who have been exposed to Hepatitis B may show symptoms 1 to 5 months later. Others don’t notice any symptoms until they become quite severe. And a few people have few or no symptoms at all. Even if a person with Hepatitis B doesn’t notice any symptoms, he or she can still transmit the disease to others. Some people actually carry the virus in their bodies and are contagious for the rest of their lives.
To find out if you have Hepatitis B, you need to have blood tests done. If tested positive for it, you will need to rest. You may also get treated with some drugs such as lamivudine and interferon, or adefovir or other antiviral drugs. Some people may need to be hospitalized for a little while if they are too sick to eat or drink. Most people with Hepatitis B recover within 6 months.
“It’s not love if it’s not gloved”
AIDS, bacterial vaginosis, chancroid, chlamydial infections, cytomegalovirus infections, genital herpes, genital (venereal) warts, gonorrhoea, granuloma inguinal, leukemia/lymphoma/myelopathy, lymphogranuloma venereum, molluscum contaiousum, pubic lice, scabies, syphilis, trichomoniasis, vaginal yeast infections.
All of the above are STDs – Sexually Transmitted Diseases – and they can all be prevented by practicing safe sex. Some of them are even fatal if not diagnosed and treated immediately.
What is safe sex? Safe sex is also known as safer sex. It is different ways of being sexual while trying to minimise the odds of contracting any one (or more) STDs, particularly AIDS. That way this is done is by minimizing the exchange of bodily fluids (ie., semen, vaginal secretions, blood), usually done by using latex barriers such as condoms and dental dams for intercourse and oral sex. AlDS can be minimized by limiting sexual practices to less risky ones. An example of that would be mutual masturbation.
STDs are infectious conditions transmitted through sexual activity - vaginal, oral or anal. Some of the sexually transmitted diseases can be easily treated, especially if diagnosed early enough, but unfortunately there for many of them, there is no cure, and these incurable STDs tend to be the most common and longest lasting. Some, for example HIV and Hepatitis B and C, can have serious health consequences.
A person can have any of the STDs without any symptoms. If that is the case, then they may be unaware that they have an infection and may be passing it on each time they have sex, whether intercourse or oral.
There is only one way to guarantee 100% to never contract an STD is to never have sex. What this means is that if you do have sex, you need to consider ways, safe ways, that you can reduce your risk of contracting an infection, or even passing on an STD that you may not know you have! There are a number of various ways, various strategies that you can use. Some of them relate to whom you have sex with, while others relate to what you do while you hare having sex. You just need to choose whichever strategy works the best for your situation – they don’t all work the same for everyone.
To achieve safe sex, it is essential to make sure that your partner’s fluids (blood, semen, vaginal fluids) do not get in your body, and vise versa. But it can also mean to avoid contact or cover up any part of the body that might be infectious – for example, herpes sores or warts.
With some sex practices it is easy to avoid any transfer of body fluids, ie. mutual masturbation (hand jobs), massage, etc.
Oral sex carries a lower risk of transmitting most, but not all, of the STDs. If you have oral sex, you can reduce the risk of infection by following these guidelines:
using condoms or dental dams
not getting blood, semen, or vaginal fluids in your mouth
avoiding oral sex if you have any mouth sores (mouth ulcers or bleeding gums)
not brushing your teeth immediately before oral sex (leaves parts of your gums susceptible to germ transmission)
don't give your partner oral sex when you have cold sores (Cold sores are caused by the herpes virus.)
If you are going to be using sex toys (ie, vibrators, dildos, butt plugs, vegetables, etc.) put a condom on it! Don't switch the toy from butthole to vagina, or from one person's body to another, until you put a new condom on it. A lot of people think that putting on a condom is too much work, but you can make it fun and thoroughly erotic!
In this day and age, practicing safe sex is essential with the outbreak of HIV and HVB. HIV stands for Human immunodeficiency Virus. It is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). It is a serious and often fatal disease of the immune system transmitted through blood products especially by sexual contact or contaminated needles. HVB stands for Hepatitis B Virus. It is a viral liver disease that may be acute or chronic, and can be life-threatening.
Anyone can contract HIV – is it not gender specific, nor sexually orientation specific, nor Ethnic specific. It can infect everyone: African Americans, disabled people, minorities, older people, gay men, sexy workers, hemophiliacs, prisoners, heterosexual men, lesbians, sexual abuse victims, substance users, the homeless, immigrants women, young people, Latinos/as, military people and everyone in between! It does not hunt down and specifically seek out gays and lesbians (as a lot of people ‘think’).
You might not know if you’ve been infected with HIV. Some people get a fever, headache, sore muscles and joints, stomach ache, swollen lymph glands, or a skin rash for one or two weeks. Most people think it's the flu. Some people have no symptoms at all.
The virus tends to multiply in your body for a few weeks, or even a few months, before your immune system responds. During this time, you won't test positive for HIV, but you can infect other people. When your immune system responds, it starts to make antibodies. When this happens, you will test positive for HIV.
After the first ‘flu-like’ symptoms, some people with HIV stay healthy for ten years or longer, not even knowing that they have been infected, but during this time, HIV is damaging your immune system.
One way to measure the damage to your immune system is to count your CD4+ cells (cluster of differentiation cells). These cells, which are also called ‘T-helper’ cells, are a major part of the immune system. Healthy people have between 500 and 1,500 CD4+ cells in a millilitre of blood. Without treatment, your CD4+ cell count will most likely go down. You might start having signs of HIV disease like fevers, night sweats, diarrhea, or swollen lymph nodes. If you have HIV disease, these problems will last more than a few days, and probably continue for several weeks.
To date, there is no cure for AIDS. There are drugs that can slow down the HIV virus, and slow down the damage to your immune system. But, there is no way to ‘clear’ HIV from the body.
Other drugs can be used to prevent or treat opportunistic infections (OIs). In most cases, these drugs work very well. The newer, stronger anti-HIV drugs have also helped reduce the rates of most OIs. A few OIs, however, are still very difficult to treat.
HBV usually caused by a virus, although it can also be caused by long-term overuse of alcohol or other toxins/drugs.
Although there are several different types of Hepatitis, Hepatitis B is a type that can move from one person to another through blood and/or other bodily fluids. It can be transmitted through sexual intercourse and through needles - such as those used add shared by intravenous drug or steroid users who have the virus, or tattoo needles that haven't been properly sterilized. A pregnant woman can also pass Hepatitis B to her unborn baby. You cannot catch Hepatitis B from an object, such as a toilet seat!!
Hepatitis B symptoms may feel similar to those caused by other viral infections, such as the flu. For example, you may feel tired, nauseous, and lose your appetite. You might be nauseated or have a mild fever, or may experience vomiting, abdominal pain, or pain underneath your right ribcage where the liver is located.
Hepatitis B can also cause jaundice, which is a yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes, and may cause the urine to appear brownish.
Some people who have been exposed to Hepatitis B may show symptoms 1 to 5 months later. Others don’t notice any symptoms until they become quite severe. And a few people have few or no symptoms at all. Even if a person with Hepatitis B doesn’t notice any symptoms, he or she can still transmit the disease to others. Some people actually carry the virus in their bodies and are contagious for the rest of their lives.
To find out if you have Hepatitis B, you need to have blood tests done. If tested positive for it, you will need to rest. You may also get treated with some drugs such as lamivudine and interferon, or adefovir or other antiviral drugs. Some people may need to be hospitalized for a little while if they are too sick to eat or drink. Most people with Hepatitis B recover within 6 months.