its time for Even Safer Sex: September 2009

Guide to Condoms

Here's a nice little review of condoms that actually help you enjoy sex.

Don't Waste Time with Bad Sex

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If you're not having fun or too tired to have fun, it ain't worth the trouble. Send the offender packin'. But do it honestly and in as nice a way as possible.

Don't Receive Oral Sex If You Don't Like It

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Outside of a monogamous relationship, there are increased risks to receiving oral sex. If you're not enjoying it, why take the risk?

In a monogamous relationship, you'll probably want to experiment with things that you may not enjoy initially. Its a much safer situation.

If you are going to pass on oral sex, let your partner know right away. You don't want him or her to think you just don't like the way that they do it.

Discover Frottage or Dry Humping

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You may find simulating intercourse outside the body to be enjoyable. And if your careful about what your doing, you don't need condoms either.

You can perform with lubrication as well and, in fact, the friction may be less of a problem for the skin when you do.

If your skin is dry or has a recent wound, a break in your skin, even a very small one, becomes likelier. Sexual friction can be intense and relentless, so healthy skin will reduce the risk of transmitting disease through the skin.

Never use an oil-based moisturizer as a sexual lubricant. Oil will break down the latex in your condoms and expose you to unnecessary risks. Use a water-based lubricant instead.

Be Aware of How Bodily Fluids Get Around Condoms

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Condoms don't just fail when they break. They fail when people don't using them properly.

If your partner's semen is on his hands, don't let him put on a condom with those hands or lubricate your interior with his hands. This defeats the condom before you even use it. Make him wash up first.

If you don't have running water where you are, try to have Wet Ones or some moist towelettes to get the job done. Keep paper towels around to get your hands completely dry after washing.

The same rule should hold for other fluids and all body cavities.

Don't Use Cheap Condoms

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Get a name brand. A company with a reputation to protect takes quality more seriously. Don't use condoms from people you don't trust.

Don't have Vaginal or Anal Sex without a Barrier

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It seems like everyone should know this by now. But with AIDS becoming a semi-treatable, chronic condition, people are foolishly taking chances again.

Don't have Sex with People with Poor Oral Hygiene

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If potential mates are not careful about oral health, they might not be as careful as about other risks either.

Don't Floss or Use Your Electric Toothbrush Right After Casual Sex

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If you've given oral sex to someone with whom you're not in a committed relationship, don't floss or use your electric toothbrush right away after oral sex.

Instead just brush very gently with a toothbrush. Then get back on track the next day.

This reduces the risk that your gums will bleed and perhaps help you avoid infection.

Also, remove sexual fluids from your mouth as soon as you encounter them. There's no sense in increasing your exposure to potential pathogens.

If you're in a committed relationship and you are both healthy (meaning you've been tested for everything), enjoy!

Otherwise, watch out.

Be Sure to Floss Daily

To further reduce your risk of contracting an STD, be sure to floss your teeth daily.

Your gums may still be bleeding and flossing may make that clearer and where the problem lies. You may not see the blood sometimes until you spit but you might taste it as soon as you floss a particular area.

You can focus a bit more attention on the bleeding areas with your electric toothbrush. You can angle the toothbrush a bit to work the gums where they have receded.

Change the Brush Heads as Recommended

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If your gums bleed when you install new brush head on your electric toothbrush, you need to change the brush heads more frequently.

The brush heads are expensive but cheap compared to the cost of a single infection.

Studies also show good oral hygiene correlates with less incidence of cardiovascular disease, so the overpriced brush heads pay for themselves in the long run.