Safe sex is a topic of great importance but it is also one that many people fail to realize is quite complexed. It is a practice that is designed to protect you and your sexual partners from both unwanted pregnancies and from the threat of sexually transmitted diseases. For many people, when they hear the term safe sex, they assume that this simply means using protection when engaging in sexual intercourse.
The truth is that this is only one aspect of what it means to practice safe sex. There is a lot more to the subject that you need to be aware of to truly be doing your part in practicing safe sex. The term safe sex means a lot more than simply putting on a condom when you and your partner engage in sexual intercourse.
The effective practice of safe sex goes into issues that include the number of partners that you engage in intercourse with and it also involves factors such as effective communication and the careful use of sex-related products and toys. Using protection is certainly a major part of safe sex practices as well. It is also important for women to know the days that they are fertile versus the ones that they are infertile.
Six tips to have a safe sex
Beyond this, you should know what actions to take if you have sex without protection. You are dealing with a short window of time to take action after unsafe sex has occurred and knowing what steps to take can make all of the difference. All of these factors combine under the overall umbrella of safe sex practices. With these points made, these are six things that you need to know about how to have safe sex.
Communicate With Your Partner
Effective communication between sexual partners is important in all aspects of sex. You must be able to communicate your sexual wants and needs. You must also be able to discuss your limits with your partner. The topic of safe sex is no exception to this rule of effective communication between sexual partners.
It is of the utmost importance for sexual partners to be on the same page as one another when it comes to the topic of safe sex. There needs to be a mutual commitment between both you and your partner when it comes to agreeing to use safe practices in your sexual relationship. This is not one of those things where it only works one way.
To truly be engaging in safe sex, it takes a commitment from both partners and this is something that must be agreed upon. It is impossible to practice safe sex if one partner is not committed to the practice. If you are not both on the same page, then it is inevitable that unsafe practices will end up occurring.
Effective safe sex communication between partners includes points such as an agreement on the use of protection, as well as a commitment to honesty when it comes to other sexual partners. Honesty is key in all sexual relationships and this is particularly true when it comes to this important topic.
This is because failure to be honest with your partner could mean that you are making it impossible for them to use safe practices. Partners should be honest about past sexual partners and they should be honest about whether or not they can commit to following the safe sex practices that are being discussed here. This is one of those subjects where it truly does take a commitment on the part of both partners to make it work.
Use Protection Every Time
Though the use of protection is far from being the only factor that is key to safe sex, it is certainly one of the most important elements of safe practices. Commitment to safe sex means that you are dedicated to using protection every time and with every partner that you have sex with. This can mean the use of male condoms and female condoms or it can mean a combination of both.
Regardless of how sure that you are that your sexual partners are following safe practices in their sex lives, you should always operate on the concept that you cannot be completely sure. Though this might seem like a somewhat negative way to approach things, it is also the safe and responsible way to approach things.
It is hard to take an accurate accounting of all of the partners that you and our current partner might have been within in the past. Taking on this mindset helps you to protect yourself and it helps you to protect your sexual partner or partners.
There are times for sex that does not include protection, but this should be limited to committed relationships where you know that you and your partner are not engaging in sex with anyone else. It is important to remember that safe sex protects you and your partners from sexually transmitted diseases but it also protects you both from unwanted pregnancies.
Sex without protection truly should be limited to cases where you and your partner are intending to conceive and it should only occur between partners that have both tested negative for sexually transmitted diseases.
Limit Your Number of Partners
It is simply a smart and safe practice to limit the total number of sexual partners that you are with at any given time. It is also a smart move to limit your number of partners in general. Though there might be some level of appeal to having sex with a lot of different partners, you must realize that every time you do so, you are putting both yourself and your sexual partners at risk of factors that safe sex aims to protect you both from.
The more sexual partners that you involve yourself with, the more difficult it becomes to truly adhere to best practices when it comes to safe sex. Being careless about the number of people that you sleep with is one of those things that will inevitably put you at risk of some of the negative consequences associated with a failure to engage in safe sex.
You must remember that each time you have sex with a new partner, you put yourself at risk of exposure to any sexually transmitted diseases that they have been exposed to from any of the partners that they have been with. The more partners that you have, the more difficult it becomes to really be sure that you are not putting yourself at risk.
You might not want to feel like you are being a sexual prude, but at the same time, you do not want to continually put yourself at an unnecessary level of risk. The more you limited your number of partners, the more that you will adhere to the safe practices that will keep you safe in your sexual life.
Know Your Infertile Days
Another key element of safe sex practice is the development of an understanding of when you are fertile and when you are infertile. This is an issue that is obviously important for women but it is important for men to be aware of it as well as it pertains to their relationship with their partner. Avoiding unwanted pregnancy is a key part of safe sex. Because of this, women need to know their own cycle.
There is a short window of time each month when a woman can get pregnant and extra precautions should always be utilized whenever you are in this window of time. The use of prescription birth control can be one of the most effective ways to deal with this issue.
For many women, taking birth control is not an option because they do not want to deal with the potential side-effects that can come along with it. If you are not on birth control and do not wish to get pregnant, then using protection takes on a new level of importance during the time of the month that you are fertile and able to conceive.
Just as knowing your cycle is important if you are trying to get pregnant with your partner, it is important if you are trying to avoid it. Women should keep track of their own cycles carefully but they should also communicate this with their partner so that everyone can be on the same page with one another.
Be Careful With the Product and Sex Toys You Use
It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when the topic of how to have safe sex comes up, but being careful with the sex products and the sex toys that you use is also a key part of this important subject. There are some truly amazing sex products and sex toys that are available on today’s market and new ones are coming out all the time.
These amazing products can add a tremendous amount to the sexual experiences that you and your partners engage in. At the same time, safe practices are essential when it comes to the responsible use of sex products and sex toys.
One of the first things that you need to be certain of before using a sex product or toy is that it is not made from a material that you are allergic to. Many people have allergic reactions to materials such as latex. This material is commonly used in condoms as well as many other types of sexual products.
You should always carefully read the label on any sex product or toy that you are planning on using on yourself or your partner. An allergic reaction is one of those things that can cause great discomfort and it can certainly spoil the mood as well.
It is also important to use effective cleaning practices when using sex products and toys. The use of sex toys has been tied to the occurrence of sexually transmitted infections, or STIs. When this occurs, it is often because the sex toys were not cleaned properly between uses. When sex toys are not properly cleaned, they can build up harmful pathogens that can lead to issues such as urinary tract infections.
Improperly cleaned sex toys can also spread STIs. It is for this reason that sex toys should never be shared between partners. Doing so only puts one’s self at risk of catching an STI that can end up compromising your health.
These points on sex toys and sex products are the perfect example of how safe sex practices go far beyond the act of using protection during intercourse. Truly practicing safe sex means taking these kinds of details seriously as you endeavor to enjoy the wonders of sex while staying safe at the same time.
What Should You Do If You Had Unprotected Sex?
We have discussed the importance of using protection every time that you have sex. Though this is the ideal scenario, the reality is that no one is perfect. In the heat of the moment, poor decisions can be made that lead to engaging in unprotected sex.
It is also possible that you were attempting to use protection but the barrier you used did not come through for you. Unfortunately, it is the case that sometimes condoms will break. If you find yourself in the situation of having unprotected sex, it is important to know what steps to take next.
There are several actions that you need to take and they depend on the amount of time that has passed. This is one of those subjects where you need to start taking action right away. You will also need to engage in several follow-up actions over the coming weeks after unprotected sex has occurred.
One of the first things that you should do after engaging in unprotected sex is to pee as soon as possible afterward. This needs to occur within the first thirty minutes after you had unprotected sex. Doing so can help to flush harmful bacteria out of your urethra.
It is also recommended that you immediately start to drink a lot of water to help with the flushing process. You can dramatically reduce your risk of developing a UTI if you take these steps immediately after engaging in unprotected sex.
There are other steps that you should take within the first seventy-two hours of having unprotected sex with a partner. For women that want to avoid pregnancy, it is important to quickly obtain emergency contraception. The emergency contraceptive pill is effective up to three days or seventy-two hours after unprotected sex has occurred.
This is one of those things where the sooner you take it, the better your chances are of it being effective. Another thing that women can do is to get an IUD within five days of engaging in unprotected sex. IUD stands for intra uterine device. It is a form of birth control that can be used as a protection against pregnancy in the case that unprotected sex occurred.
Both men and women who have recently engaged in unprotected sex should also quickly get themselves tested for sexually transmitted diseases. This should occur within two weeks of the incidence of unprotected sex. This is particularly important to do if you have had unprotected sex with a new partner and you are unsure of their recent sexual history.
It is also the responsible thing to do as it helps to ensure that you will not continue to spread the sexually transmitted disease to others that you engage in sex with. Women who have had unprotected sex should also do a pregnancy test three weeks after the date that the sex took place on. Doing so any sooner than this will produce results that cannot be depended on.
Final Words
This concludes our six key points that you need to be aware of when it comes to the topic of how to have safe sex. These tips are meant to help you in enhancing your overall sex life and your enjoyment of this beautiful act. Experiencing a healthy and happy sex life can be one of the most beneficial things in life and being safe is a key part of this.
The consequences of failing to practice safe can be quite serious. These consequences can include unwanted pregnancy, UTIs, and STDs/STIs. Sex is a beautiful thing but so is embracing safe sex practices. You and our partner or partners can help to look after each other by taking the topic of safe sex seriously.
Following these guidelines will help you in your goal of enjoying a happy, healthy, and safe sex life. The peace of mind that safe sex can provide you is one of those things that really does make it worth it. It is far better than constantly finding yourself worried about the possible consequences that you could suffer from for failing to be safe in your sexual practices.
We hope that you have found this information to be helpful and educational. You should take every opportunity to enjoy the benefits and pleasures that sex offers. Doing so in a safe manner really can help to make the entire experience even better.
