safer sex

You most likely got the kidney infection because of not treating your urinary tract infection soon enough. Kidney infections almost always arise from a urinary tract or bladder infection, which come about from bacteria introduced to the urethral opening (which, unfortunately, happens to be mighty…

As you and your partner consider sexual activity, it is great that you’re seeking out information and resources to help prepare you. It also sounds like you have been talking about this together, which means that you’ve already crossed a big hurdle that a lot of people get stuck on. So in order to…

There is a risk of sexually transmitted infection simply because he’s ejaculating inside you. You can’t reduce that risk once it has occurred. And trying to douche or wash out the inside of the vagina only inclines you to things like yeast infections and vaginal imbalances more: that’s a harm, not a…

First off, kudos to you for being such a great cousin! Signs of when a person with a uterus is about to start their period vary greatly from person to person. Some people have tender breasts and cramps as you described, others have headaches or nausea, while others really have no pain or discomfort…

Whether you orgasm or not, sex without a condom leaves you open to both STI transmission and pregnancy risk (assuming your partner is not using another form of contraception that would protect against pregnancy). Pre-ejaculate (sometimes referred to as “pre-cum”), the fluid that is released by men…

First of all, good for you and your partner for educating yourselves about safer sex and wanting to be as safe as possible! The first step in having safer sex is deciding on and using some form (or forms) of birth control. The second, really important step then is making sure that you are using your…

First things first: with ANY new partner – as in, someone we have not been with for six months or more, and practicing all aspects of safer sex with – we really, truly should be using latex barriers (condoms, in this case) with fellatio. I know, I do, that at 14, it often seems really unlikely…

I’d divide your questions into two groups here: the things you need to ask someone else, and the things you need to ask your girlfriend (and listen to her about). Let’s start with the first group. Per spermicides, in general, if you can avoid using them, you want to avoid using them. Not only are…

Joe, I’m going to be pretty straight with you, here. The “circumstances” aren’t determining your behaviour. You are both, every time you don’t use condoms properly and consistently, making an ACTIVE CHOICE to take the risks that are causing you this stress. You have every possible ability to make…

If it seems just like your period normally does – with the same level of flow, for instance – then it is very unlikely you are pregnant. Rarely, a test will show what is called a “chemical” pregnancy, especially when tests are taken on the early side. In other words, it can test positive when an…