Overcoming barriers to safe sex

Safe sex doesn’t have to be a drag. Tips include:

• Be prepared for safe sex – it doesn’t have to be a passion-killer. Carry condoms in your wallet or purse and keep them handy at home, so that you don’t have to interrupt having sex to look for one.
• If you find condoms reduce the pleasure that you or your partner experience, drop a bit of water-based lubricant in the tip of the condom for extra feeling and sensitivity.
• Learn how to use condoms. They may take a little getting used to, but it’s better than catching an STI.
• Involve condoms in foreplay – for example, apply a condom using your hands or mouth.
• If you feel too embarrassed to buy condoms in a pharmacy or supermarket, buy them from vending machines in some public toilets, from mail-order sites or grab a handful from a community health centre or sexual health centre.
• Hormonal contraceptives, such as the oral contraceptive pill, only provide protection against unplanned pregnancy. They provide no protection against STIs.
• Prioritise your sexual health – it is important.
• Don’t think you can tell if someone has an STI just by looking at them. Most STIs don’t have any obvious signs.
• Educate yourself about STIs. Anyone who has sex is at risk.
• Be mature about STIs and reassure yourself and your partner that an STI is not a moral judgement of character, but an infection like any other. Having an STI does not mean that you are ‘dirty’ or ‘cheap’.
• Have STI tests if you are in a relationship and you want to have sex without a condom. Both partners should be tested. Think of STI testing as a sign of respect for each other.