For more about condoms, STIs, contraception, pregnancy risks, services, the law and booze.
Condoms
Condoms are the most effective way of both having entry sex and preventing pregnancy and STIs. They need to be used properly otherwise they are much more likely to break. In my post How to use condoms you’ll see a video of me showing you how to put one on a plastic penis.
There are lots of myths and rumours about using condoms: partly this is due to misunderstandings about condoms but it’s also because some people really don’t like using them. Don’t be a condom dodger is an antidote to some of these myths, it gives some practical advice to make using condoms easier and also how to get someone to use condoms.
There are loads and loads and loads of different kinds of condoms (not like when I was a young person!). My piece about Different condom types explains what a lot of them are, how they work, what they are used for and who might like to use them. I add to this from time to time when I see new products available. (If you’re a condom maker and want to send me a sample of your wares contact me above).
Getting a condom on quickly is important (although it is important to put them on properly). Erections come and erections can go. If it’s taking ages to open a condom, to get it the right way round, dropping it under the bed, blowing the fluff off it then an erection can disappear – particularly if it’s stressing you out. So my video here is showing you how I try to put one on quickly Condoms: the need for speed When I teach about using condoms I do the ‘condom challenge’ with students who volunteer to put a condom on a plastic penis as quickly as possible (the current record is 6.18 seconds).
Here’s a guide to staying hard when using condoms. Tis an amusing animated video.
STIs
If you have unsafe sex with someone who has a sexually transmitted infection (STI) then you can catch that infection from them. We need to try to avoid getting an STI because if they are left untreated they can lead to serious long term health problems. The most common infections are curable. The basics about infections are here Sex Infections
There’s a lot of misinformation and scary rumour about Herpes out there. In fact herpes is not a very serious virus which can be caught from having sex but also from other ways.
For World Aids Day (1st December, people on X Factor wearing massive red ribbons etc) I wrote a piece on HIV and AIDS which gives you the straight forward basic facts and also discusses why people get abused and stigmatised for having it (we don’t do this with other illnesses).
Contraception, sex without having babies
If you’re interested in having penis in vagina sex (very popular) you might be interested in Contraception, which are various methods which can prevent pregnancy (if you don’t want a baby). This post gives you the basics on the effective (and not effective) methods.
Sometimes condoms fail (or sometimes we fail to use condoms). In this case the Emergency Contraception can prevent an unwanted pregnancy if taken quickly enough. It works best within 24 hours but can be used up to 5 days after sex. (It used to be called the morning after pill but it doesn’t have to be taken in the morning or the next day, so we don’t call it that anymore).
Lots of people learn about contraception and pregnancy from friends and family, which is nice, but remember friends and family are often going on their own experiences or on what they’ve heard from their friends and family. This means that there can be a lot of Contraception and Pregnancy Myths which I’ve busted.
Some methods of contraception work by introducing a small amount of extra hormone (which is already in the body) to prevent eggs being released, womb lining from being created and creates a plug of mucous (not snot) at the base of the cervix to stop sperm swimming through. Hormonal Contraception
Other methods of contraception prevent sperm and eggs from meeting without using hormones (like condoms). Non Hormonal Contraception
Pregnancy Risks Explained
Some people use the withdrawal method, where they have penis in vagina sex but the penis is pulled out of the vagina before ejaculation. If it’s done right it can be reasonably effective, but it’s very very difficult to do right, so loads of people get pregnant this way.
Loads and loads of young people ask me about the risks of getting pregnant from mutual masturbation and dry humping. There really is very very little risk of getting pregnant from this. I’ve explained why, and how to make this even safer, here Mutual Masturbation and Dry Humping Pregnancy Risks
‘If you have (penis in vagina) sex you will get pregnant.’ ‘I’ve been having sex for weeks and not got pregnant. I must be infertile. I’ll stop using contraception.’ I hear this all the time. Although it’s possible to get pregnant when you first have sex it isn’t likely: in fact if you did it at a particular time, it’s impossible to get pregnant. It’s complicated. This piece explains why and also why you should use contraception if you don’t want to get pregnant. Fertility/Pregnancy
Services, The Law, Booze
We’re pretty lucky to have free and confidential Sexual Health Services for young people in the UK. This tells you a bit more about where to find somewhere near you, what kinds of services you can get and what happens when you get there.
There are lots of laws around sex that affect young people: under age sex, porn, marriage, assault, consent. It’s not the most sexy piece here at bishuk but it is one of the most important and something that young people ask me about a lot. Sex and the Law
Contrary to what you might have heard, not all young people are getting pissed on cider in the park and having sex Booze, Drugs and Sex (also many adults don’t tell you that they used to do this and that often they drink before they have sex too). This post tells you why it’s probably not a great idea to shag when pissed or stoned.
Remember if you want to ask me a question about any of this click ‘ask’ at the top of the page.
© Justin Hancock, 2012 bishtraining.com
sex education, teen health, relationships, sexual health
