Editorial

Don’t risk your sexual health

You must take sexual responsibility for yourself and not leave it to your partner. Make a rule to yourself to always use a condom and resolve to act on it.

  • PublishedJune 1, 2012

You must take sexual responsibility for yourself and not leave it to your partner. Make a rule to yourself to always use a condom and resolve to act on it. Don’t take your pants off before he puts a condom on. Humour can be a good way to broach the subject if you are not comfortable talking about condoms. For example, pulling out some colourful condom is a fun way to bring up a serious subject. Be jokey about the subject yet insist he uses a condom. No condom, no sex must always be the rule.

It’s best to use two lines of defense if you want to avoid STIs and pregnancy: the Pill or an IUD for contraception, and a condom to protect against STIs. However, at the early stages of intimacy, you need not mention you are using contraceptives if you think your partner may choose not to use a condom because for him the only risk he envisages is pregnancy. There is also now the female condom, which you have full control of, so if he won’t use one, use one yourself.

TO BE SAFE, OBSERVE THESE TIPS:

Always carry some condom with you when you go to places where you might drink and flirt and possibly end up having sex even though you had not planned it.

Buy reputable brands of condom and check the expiry date.

Keep condoms away from heat and oil-based products such as lipstick and hand cream, which can damage them.

If you drink, be aware of how alcohol affects your self-control. You could get raped or end up in bed with someone you didn’t intend to.

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