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Safe Sex

Sex is no longer a secret for young people, but many do not have accurate information about sex and health. There are many myths about sex, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Young people need to know about safe sex before they are sexually active.

Pregnancy

Some facts about sex and pregnancy:

• You can get pregnant the first time you have sex.

• You can get pregnant whether or not you have an orgasm.

• You can get pregnant no matter how you are standing or laying during intercourse.

• You can get pregnant regardless or whether or not you wash your vagina after sex.

• You can still get pregnant even if the man uses a condom, but especially if it breaks during intercourse.

Safe Sex

As well as HIV/AIDS, there are many STDs which can seriously harm long-term health and one's ability to have children. These include HIV, syphilis, herpes and gonorrhea as well as other serious diseases such as hepatitis B. You can catch an STD (including HIV) through just one sexual encounter so you  need to be aware of the options for safe sex.

Safe sex:

• abstinence or masturbation

• sex with just one partner where both of you are uninfected and so long as neither or you has sex with anyone else or shares a needle with anyone else.

Still with risk, but safer than unprotected sex:

• Use a male or female condom correctly each and every time you have intercourse.

• Use a barrier to prevent contact with blood or sexual fluid.

• Use water-based lubricants to reduce the chance that the condom will break.

HIV/AIDS

HIV is the virus that causes AIDS. There is no cure for HIV infection or AIDS, and there is no medicine to prevent it. The only way to prevent HIV infection is to prevent being in contact with the virus.

If a person is infected with HIV, then it is in all of their body fluids. All sexual activity with an infected person has some risk of spreading HIV. Unsafe sex has a high risk of spreading HIV. The greatest risk is when blood or sexual fluid from an infected person touches any of the soft moist areas of the body (rectum, vagina, mouth, nose, tip of the penis) or any open cuts or sores. This gives HIV a way to get into the body.

Remember:

• You cannot tell if someone is infected by how they look or what they say. They might be lying to you, especially if they want to have sex.

• It is possible to contract an STD (including HIV) from having sex just once with someone else or sharing a needle in drug-taking.

• To make sure if a person is infected or not with HIV, they need to have two blood tests at least 6 months apart.

• STDs are also dangerous to your health, and the only way to know for sure if someone is infected or not is for them to be tested.

If you would like to talk about any of these, please contact us. 

All services provided by the Garden of Hope are strictly confidential.