Staying safe in the sack - Protection for All

There is an abundance of information out there about safety during straight sex, but what about gay sex? Whether you are gay, bisexual or just curious, you should make sure you know your facts and your options before you have sex.

Q: I know the standard run-of-the-mill issues that come along with straight sex, but I'm bi, so what do I need to know about the risks that come along with gay sex?

A: I think one of the most incorrect assumptions society makes is that people can't contract sexually transmitted infections if they are having sex with someone of the same gender. This is not true. Though it's always a good idea to use protection, we can't always be certain of our partner's STI status, so you should take some precautions to protect both of you.

If you are engaging in lesbian sex, you should be focusing on the use of barriers. Barriers like a dental dam are most effective. According to Brown University's student health website, "dental dams are small, thin, square pieces of latex that are used for oral-vaginal or oral-anal sex.? They are placed between the giver's mouth and the receiver's vulva or anus. If used correctly, these should block the passing of potentially dangerous fluids both from the vagina and from the mouth.

If you don't want to buy dental dams, Brown's website suggests that you can use a latex glove, regular condoms or they also recommend using Saran Wrap. If you choose Saran Wrap, Brown?s website says "it is important that it be non-microwavable because the pores in microwaveable saran wrap are large enough to allow viruses and bacteria to pass through." Who knew?

If you are using sex toys, these also need to be cleaned or protected when going from one person to another. In addition to that, use toys that are made of non-porous and nontoxic materials like silicone. These kinds won't absorb very much fluid, keeping you safer.

For gay men, there are also some things to remember during sex. For male-to-male oral sex, a regular condom can be used to block the spread of fluids from the mouth to the penis and vice versa. If you can't stand the taste of latex, you have the option of using flavored condoms or flavored lubricant. They come in all flavors, so you won?t be stuck with something you find gross.

When having anal intercourse, a condom also should be worn because most infections, like HIV, are most easily spread through anal intercourse. Because most people find that they need a lot of lubricant during anal sex, check to see if you are using the right kind. Oil-based lubricants like Vaseline can ruin the latex of the condom, so make sure that your lubricants are always water-based when condoms are involved.

To be safe when having gay sex, you need to focus on keeping your fluids away from your partner's, as is also true with straight sex. It's just that some of the details are a little different.

SOURCE: Tiffany Harms, dailyevergreen.com