Sexual Health and YOUR Responsibility
Get Tested for HIV together. If you and your Beloved are serious about taking your relationship to a sexual level, then consider going to get tested for HIV together. More importantly, go back a get your results together. When getting tested for HIV, you may also want to consider getting tested for other STIs. Some STIs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhea are asymptomatic and may go undetected. Additionally, if a person has an STI, he or she is five times more likely to get a HIV. While getting tested is great, it should not be your method of prevention. Changing behaviors that put you at risk for HIV, open and honest communication, and mutual monogamy should be your goal.
Ask Your Sex Partner About Their Sexual History/Herstory. The BIG question is always “How many people have you had sex with.” While the number of sex partners may certainly peak your curiosity, it’s really not the number that matters. And besides, your Beloved may not be honest. The better question to ask is “did you practice safer sex with all your past sexual encounters. Additional questions to ask include: Have you been tested for HIV? Did you get your results? What were your results? Have you ever had a STIs? If so, did you get it treated? For heterosexual-identified individuals you may also consider asking if your partner has ever engaged in any same sex sexual tyrst? For lesbian or gay identified individuals you may want to ask have you ever had sex with someone of the opposite sex. As difficult as it may be to ask these questions, it is very important to ask your sex partners about their sexual past. At the end of the day, if you cannot ask your partner these questions, then just maybe you should not be having sex with them. Remember you are responsible for your sexual health. And besides it just may help save your life..
There is no such thing as “safe sex.” The only “safe sex” is no sex! However condoms, both male and female, can help keep you safer. Condoms are 99.9% effective in preventing the transmission of HIV and other STIs if used consistently and correctly for sexual encounters. Latex, Polyurethane and polyisoprene are the most effective condoms for HIV and STI prevention. Stay away from using natural or lamb skin condoms as they do not provide protection against HIV and other STIs. They are only effective in preventing pregnancy. Additionally, for oral-anal play or oral-vaginal play, a dental dam can serve as a barrier to prevent an individual from coming in contact with any of the body fluids (blood, semen, vaginal fluid) that help spread HIV. Like condoms, dental dams must be used consistently and correctly in order to help reduce risk. When in doubt on how to correctly use condoms or dental dams, follow the directions on the packaging.
So you have asked the questions and you still feel uneasy about the information that your partner has shared with you, then do not move forward in a sexual relationship. That uneasiness that you are feeling is your intuition is trying to let you know that something is not exactly right with the situation. If you move forward, you may be putting yourself in harm’s way. Take the time to explore your feelings, assess the situation and make a healthy an informed decision. Above all keep yourself safer. Having sex is a decision that should not be taken lightly..
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