Sex Is Fun And It Can Be Safe With…

What is safer sex (safe sex)?

Safer sex is all about protecting yourself and your partners from sexually transmitted infections. Safer sex helps you stay healthy and can even make sex better.

Watch this video to understand the basics of STDs

How does safer sex help protect me from STDs?

STDs are infections that are passed from one person to another during sexual activity. Anybody who has oral, anal, or vaginal sex, or genital skin-to-skin contact with another person can get STDs. Safer sex (often called “safe sex”) means taking steps to protect yourself and your partner from STDs when you have sex.

There are lots of ways you can make sex safer. One of the best ways is by using a barrier — like condoms, female condoms, and/or dental dams — every single time you have oral, anal, or vaginal sex. Barriers cover parts of your genitals, protecting you and your partner from body fluids and some skin-to-skin contact, which can both spread STDs.

Getting tested for STDs regularly is also part of safer sex, even if you always use condoms and feel totally fine. Most people with STDs don’t have symptoms or know they’re infected, and they can easily pass the infection to their partners. So testing is the only way to know for sure whether or not someone has an STD.