safer sex

Absolutely! Oral sex poses the potential for STI transmission for both the giver and the receiver. So it’s wise to make sure you’re using a condom (or a dental dam for oral sex on a woman) each time. One of my favorite examples of the risks associated with this is that of herpes. Many many many…

Withdrawal is NOT an effective birth control method: just ask my parents, and their parents, and…you get the picture. I also have a fantastic nephew who I adore, both of whose parents swear (and have no reason to lie, really) that they practiced withdrawal PERFECTLY. Apparently not. That’s the…

Here are the possibilities, in order of most likely to least: He WAS with someone else over this last year. I know that’s certainly the least easy possibility to look at, but if he really tested all clear before the last round of tests within the amount of time you two have been together, and you…

Yes, coldsores are the oral herpes virus, or HSV-I. Your friend has it right. Understand that most people do not contract oral herpes sexually, but through casual contact, and the majority of people with oral herpes contract it in childhood, just by doing things like sharing glasses with family…

I was wondering why we were getting this question a lot lately. Then last week, I saw the movie ‘Knocked Up.’ Lo and behold, one of the characters in the movie claims (and exclaims) that a girl can’t get pregnant if she’s on top. ‘Cause of gravity and all that. WRONG! So totally not true!!! Yes…

You know, sex really is supposed to be fun, so while it is absolutely wise to do all you can to prevent a pregnancy, there are ways to do that which don’t have to be so involved or be a big buzzkill. Condoms, when used properly, are highly effective: around 98% effective with perfect use. Perfect…

Understand that most sexually transmitted infections and diseases are asymptomatic. In other words, most often do not show symptoms, or symptoms any of us could easily notice. Some do, sometimes, and some do, but not until a person has had the infection for quite some time. Please also understand…

Humans are mostly made of water, and vaginal fluid is most certainly water-based. This means it can evaporate under normal earth conditions. This is normal. More normal than that is the fact that even when woman are sexually aroused, they may not make enough vaginal lubrication to make prolonged…

When you start taking the pill, you’re adding lots of extra hormones into your system and they are essentially forcing your body into a new sort of cycle. It’s not like the cycle you have when you aren’t on the pill, because you no longer ovulate. Typically, you begin taking the pill around the time…

While gloves are helpful for making sure that no ejaculate reaches your genitals during manual sex, the primary benefit is that things are both clean and smooth. Obviously, hands tend to carry tons of bacteria. Just think about all of the things that your hands or your partner’s hands come into…