Teens Ask the Experts
What's Safe Sex & Safer
Sex?
How Does Drug Use Affect Overall
Health?
How Can You Tell If You Have
An STD?
What Can I Do To Stay Healthy?
the experts say: In order to
explain Safe Sex and Safer Sex, we must also talk about abstinence,
Risky Sex and High Risk Sex. We will discuss them in order, going
from what we consider most safe, to what we consider most risky.
Abstinence (or No Sex) - A situation in which a
person decides not to engage in sex for one or more reasons, and holds true to that
decision. Advantages of practicing abstinence include:
- no risk of pregnancy because there's no exchange of body fluids that can lead to
a sperm and egg uniting.
- no risk of getting HIV or other STDs (sexually transmitted diseases), which is possible
when there is an exchange of body fluids during vaginal, anal or oral sex. These
body fluids could be infected, and there's no way of knowing without a laboratory
test whether or not a person has infected body fluids.
- less chance of getting emotionally involved with a person or persons who:
- might hurt your feelings later, or
- might have sex and then talk about it.
Safe Sex - Sexual activity in which there is no
chance of exchanging bodily fluids. Therefore, there is no chance of pregnancy,
or getting HIV and other STD's. Examples of safe sex in addition to abstinence are
things like touching and kissing. Teens, however, have to be careful about participating
in such activities, because they can get out of control.
If a person participates in vaginal, oral or anal sex, even using a condom or other
barrier, it cannot be called or considered safe sex, but safer sex. That's because
even when condoms are used properly (and many people don't use them properly), in
a small number of cases, condoms can leak or break, thus permitting fluid exchange.
Safer Sex - Sexual activity in which there is a
small chance of exchanging bodily fluids. The most widely used form of safer sex
is latex condom use during sex. This is because condoms serve as a physical barrier
in case one of the sexual partners has infected fluids.
However, if condoms are not used properly, they are not effective, and the person
using them is not engaging in safer sex. Therefore, teens who decide to be sexually
active and use condoms to protect themselves must be sure they know how to use condoms
properly, and insist that they and their partner always use them that way.
Sex is also safer when sexually active people only have sex with one person, who
is known to be uninfected, as a result of proper testing. This is called monogamous
sex. It does not mean just having sex with one person at a time.
Risky Sex - Sexual activity in which latex condoms
or other acceptable physical barriers are not always used, or are not always used
properly.
Although oral contraceptives usually prevent pregnancy when properly used, they
don't prevent HIV or other STD's. Therefore, sexually active teens (and women) who
use oral contraceptives but don't use condoms are engaging in risky sex. In fact,
many experts consider this high risk sex.
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Remember what Teen Power says: "Better Safe than Sorry!"
Finally, also remember the Health Power motto:
Action's The Way 4 Health Power!