Safe Sex

Safe Sex or Protected Sex is a set of practices that became prominent in the late 1980 's as a result of the AIDS epidemic (Wikipedia . Safe sex practices are designed to reduce the risk of contracting an infection during sexual intercourse (Wikipedia . Nowadays , due to an increase in risk taking behavior where sexual intercourse is concerned , safe sex practices are used to prevent a number of infections commonly known as Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI 's ) or Diseases (STD 's , which come in the form of HIV (which would later on result in AIDS , herpes , gonorrhea , chlamydia , syphilis , and genital warts to name a few .
STI 's are contracted via an exchange of bodily fluid through sexual contact with an infected individual (STD Public Information Source .
This essay will take the reader through the various methods of safe sex , as well as the benefits and risks that come with each .
Abstinence
Common sense would tell us that prevention is the best cure , thus abstinence would be the most foolproof of all safe sex methods .
Abstinence essentially would mean refraining from engaging in sexual activity entirely (Wikipedia , though from a health standpoint it would mean avoiding both anal and vaginal intercourse (Sexual Health
Information .
Abstinence would seem to be the most effective preventive measure against STI 's given that if followed correctly , it should not permit any exchange of bodily fluids between two parties . Members of religious organizations that do not believe in intercourse before marriage , as well as by concerned parents and members of society usually advocate this method .
Though contrary to popular belief , abstinence does not guarantee 100 protection against STI 's (Sexual Health Information . Infections can still be passed from one partner to another if in the case of
``outercourse , or non penetrative sex , there is genital to genital contact or if ejaculation occurs on the outside of the vagina (Sexual
Health Information . Moreover , some infections such as crabs or herpes can also be passed merely through skin-to-skin contact , without an exchange of bodily fluids (Sexual Health Information .
Monogamy
Another effective way to prevent STI 's would be to enter into a monogamous relationship or to engage in intercourse with only a single partner , who in turn will not engage in sexual intercourse with any other partner (Royal Adelaide Hospital .
This method is self-explanatory . As mentioned above , STI 's are passed on through exchange of bodily fluids with an infected partner , thus there would be little to no risk of infection should one be careful in selecting one 's partner and if both parties practice monogamy faithfully (Royal Adelaide Hospital .
Though before entering into a serious relationship wherein one or both parties have engaged in sexual relations with other partners prior to entering the relationship , it would also be advisable to get tested prior to engaging in sexual intercourse for the first time .
Contraceptive Measures