Safer Sex

LET’S TALK (SAFER) SEX, BABY!

Safer sex is all about protecting yourself and your sexual partner(s) from Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs). An STI is an infection that can be passed from one person to another during sexual activities.

There is often a lot of stigma and taboo surrounding STIs, but being diagnosed with an STI is common, often manageable, and definitely nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve had sex, how many sexual partners you’ve had, or who you’ve had sex with, anyone who is sexually active can get an STI. In fact, did you know that in 2019, there were 468,342 diagnoses of STIs made in England?

The best way to prevent and manage STIs is by having open conversations about them with our sexual partners, friends and family. But we can only start doing that if we shake off any stigma and shame we might feel around STIs. So have a quick shake, and let’s get learning!

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX, BABY!

SO WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SEXUAL ACTIVITIES?

All sexual activities carry some risk of passing on an STI, but those with the highest risk include: l Vaginal penetrative sex, or vaginal intercourse- When a person’s penis enters another person’s vagina. l Anal penetrative sex- When a person’s penis enters another person’s anus. l Sharing sex toys- Sex toys include things like vibrators and sex dolls. However, any object used for sexual stimulation can be called a sex toy, whether it’s designed for this use or not. l Oral sex- When someone uses their mouth to stimulate another person’s genitals (penis, vulva, or anus). l Genital contact- When one person’s genitals (penis, vulva or anus) touch or rub against another’s.

TYPES OF STIS

There are different types of STIs, including: l Chlamydia l Genital Herpes l Pubic lice or ‘crabs’ l Trichomoniasis l Mycoplasma Genitalium (MG) l Syphilis l Gonorrhoea l Genital warts l Hepatitis l HIV Many people who get an STI won’t experience any symptoms. Because of this, lots of people don’t even realise that they have an STI, and you can’t tell by » just looking at someone (including yourself), whether or not they have an infection.

If someone with an STI does get symptoms, these commonly include: l Painful or increased passing of urine. l Itching, burning or tingling around the genitals. l Painful swelling of the genitals. l Blisters, sores, spots or lumps around the genitals or anus. l Black powder or tiny white dots in your underwear. l Unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or anus. l Bleeding between periods or during/ after sex. l Pain during sex. l Lower tummy pain.

Most STIs, like chlamydia, can be cured with the right treatment. Some STIs, like HIV, never leave the body, but if you're diagnosed early then there are treatments available to keep you healthy. Being on HIV medication can even stop you passing on HIV to future sexual partners, so getting an HIV test is really important if you've had unprotected sex. If left untreated, STIs can permanently damage your health and may affect your fertility (ability to have children).

SO HOW DO WE PRACTICE SAFER SEX?

Practising safer sex means using a barrier to cover parts of your genitals when you have sex, or covering sex toys if you are sharing them with someone else. If you’re not in a committed sexual relationship where everyone involved has had a recent sexual health check-up confirming that they don’t have any STIs, then it’s very important to use barriers.

Barriers include: EXTERNAL CONDOMS. A thin latex or synthetic latex cover worn over an erect penis. Prevent STIs passing from one person to another during vaginal and anal penetrative sex and oral sex. INTERNAL CONDOMS OR ‘FEMIDOMS’. A thin latex or synthetic latex cover worn inside the vagina. Prevent STIs passing from one person to another during vaginal penetrative sex. Some people also use internal condoms to prevent STIs during anal sex, but there is currently no research to support this. DENTAL DAMS. A soft plastic latex or polyurethane square (about 15cm in size). Some people use dental dams to prevent STIs by covering the vulva or anus during oral sex, but there is currently no research to support this.

Don’t forget to always dispose of a used barrier after use, and open a new one each time you have sex. Never reuse a barrier, as this will make them less likely to protect against STIs.

Practising safer sex also means regularly getting tested for STIs. This is especially important if you or your sexual partner(s) have symptoms of an STI, or if you're worried after participating in any unprotected sexual activities (e.g. without using a barrier).

In the community you can get tested and treated for STIs at a sexual health or genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinic. In prisons, sexual health screening tests are routinely offered, and you can also talk to your prison doctor about your sexual health. All sexual health services are free and confidential, and many of them will be able to give you barriers, like external condoms, free of charge.

WHAT DOES SEXUAL HEALTH MEAN TO YOU?

Hello from the whole team at Brook! We’re a national charity that provide free and confidential sexual health and wellbeing services for young people under 25 years old (and for all ages in Blackburn, Cornwall and Southend).

When most people think of sexual health, they probably think of things like Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), contraception and pregnancy. These are all really important aspects of sexual health, but we also know that sexual health includes so much more than just this. Sexual health is also about people’s relationships, lives and choices, sexuality, and who you desire. It’s about having the knowledge, rights and power to make decisions about your body and being able to choose the number and spacing of your children. It’s also about being able to have pleasurable, safe and enjoyable relationships free from coercion, pressure and violence.

On top of this, when we talk about 'Sex', we don't just mean vaginal penetrative sex, we mean every and any form of sex! Many people enjoy other forms of sex, for example, lots of women and people with vulvas can’t orgasm just from penetrative sex, because most of the nerve endings that make their bodies feel good and cause

orgasm are not inside the vagina, but mainly in the clitoris and right down the vaginal lips (labia). So, focusing attention on those parts of the body and taking as much time, stimulation, and lubrication as is needed can be what makes sex feel great. It’s also really normal, safe and healthy to touch yourself, to masturbate and to bring yourself to orgasm, and touching yourself can be the best way to find out what feels nice for your body. For anyone who has had negative sexual experiences, touching yourself (including with sex “It's also toys if that feels good) at your own pace and reconnecting with your own body may be an important part of (re)learning to enjoy sex; and can help with about being able to have pleasurable, safe relationships free from coercion, communicating what feels good if you do pressure and want to have sex with a partner.violence.” When it comes to sexual health, there is so much to think and talk about, and the more we have these conversations, the more empowered we’ll all feel to promote our own sexual health and wellbeing. For more information on all aspects of sexual health, why not visit our website- https://www.brook.org.uk/