Eight tips of practising safer sex

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The practice of safe sex involves taking precautions against sexually transmitted diseases when you engage in sexual intercourse. This is a fundamental precaution and it is the duty of everyone to take such precautions against contracting STDs for the sake of their own health and any other partners they might encounter in the future.

Read on to find eight different tips to practise safe sex or safer sex as it is called now, to deliver the message that the safest way is by abstaining and staying true to one person.

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1. Using prophylactics and avoiding the bodily fluids mixing in each other's system is the best possible form of prevention.  The usage of condoms even in the case of anal or oral sex is recommended for further safety.

Sex education in schools targeting children of pre-teenage years to educate them on what to expect in puberty and the changes they will face has helped many teenagers realize the impact that their choices will have on their lives.

2. While one can enjoy their sexual fantasies it is prudent to remember that you are responsible for your choices. So you can pleasure each other and indulge in other forms of non invasive sexual pleasure that are acceptable to both yourself and your partner.

There are several pornographic videos, magazines etc that can help you in this. As long as some care is taken to don protective gear to prevent transmission of diseases, you can enjoy a mutually acceptable form on sexual pleasure commonly called 'outercourse' as compared to intercourse where there is some form of penetration.

3. In case you don't have a sexual partner and you want to pleasure yourself, masturbation is a time tested option, mentioned in literatures of almost two thousand years ago. There are umpteen pornographic magazines, movies, etc available for such pleasures, not to mention the latter day innovations like phone sex and cyber sex which are as safe as can be.

Though there has been a taboo attached to the idea of masturbation, it has long since become accepted as a necessary form of release for those who need it.

4. As the slogan goes, 'No one has a body to die for'; this is the mantra for the Just Say Yes to safe sex organization which promotes the idea of safer sex among the younger generation to prevent them from getting infected by STDs.

They show how to put on a condom, when is the right time to don one, the intricacies involved so that the sensitive teenagers who might feel awkward to ask someone can check it out online and learn the essentials of safe sex.

They advise on the various do's and don'ts for the first timers to make their sexual encounters pleasurable and safe.

5. Some sexually transmitted diseases may not show up in the blood stream and so in any tests until six months after getting infected. This time lapse or gestation period for the STDs might be your nemesis if you don't know your partner's sexual history or have been together for minimum six months.

So experts advise the use of condoms and other protective methods for a minimum of six months before indulging in protection-free sex.

6. It is the responsibility of every adult to be honest in their sexual relationships about their sexual history. This will encourage your partner to be open about their past relationships and so you both will know what to expect and what to look out for.

Having multiple partners increases the risk of STDs multi-fold. Latex and Polyurethane condoms and water based lubricants are your best bets when it comes to your protection from diseases.

Sheep intestinal condoms don't stop the spread of diseases and oil based lubricants can tear the latex and render them useless.

7. Women can use diaphragm as a protection and female condoms give them the choice of their own protection. However the usage of both the male and the female condoms can cause friction and ruptures.

If you are using either the male or the female condom and want to use another protection, use a spermicidal gel.

8. Immunisation against sexually transmitted diseases is a great advantage, though the immunization has to be done before one becomes sexually active. And in the case of Hepatitis, ensure that you get all three doses in the prescribed intervals, preferably from the same clinic. Studies conducted by the WHO in some African countries have also established that male circumcision lessens the occurrence of infections and STDs among the tribal populations.

If you follow these simple guidelines in your sexual encounters and practise safe sex, then you and your partner can enjoy a long and healthy sex life to your mutual satisfaction, free from worrying about any possible diseases.