Sense Project

We are getting more and more questions in our “Ask Anything” question box to the right! –> Stay tuned for more questions & answers coming up next week!  Julia, a very special Sense volunteer, answered today’s question…

Q: how can I have safe sex without getting pregnant?

There are several ways you can negotiate safer sex without getting pregnant.

Condoms are the only form of contraception that also prevent the transmission of Sexually Transmitted Infections [STIs]. They are easy to use, easy to find and cheap, and you may even be able to get them for free at many locations, such as clinics and youth community centres like Head & Hands! They are mostly made of latex, but may also be made out of polyurethane and other hypo-allergenic products. They are available in many varieties, including lubricated and non-lubricated, ribbed, coloured, flavoured, etc. Water-based lubricants can also be used with condoms to make penetration way smoother and reduce the risk of condom breakage.

There are many other forms of contraception available that prevent unwanted pregnancies. For example, the Pill, the patch, the ring, and the Depo Provera injection are all forms of contraception that use hormones to prevent pregnancy. IUDs (Intra-Uterine Devices) are inserted into the uterus, and you have the option of having an IUD that also releases hormones. You need a prescription for all of these, which means a visit to your local clinic, sexual health clinic, or family doctor. The diaphragm and cervical cap are barrier methods that prevent sperm from entering the uterus, and you can call different clinics to see if they offer fittings.  Check out this handy chart from Planned Parenthood for more information about these different birth control methods!  It’s important to remember that none of these options protect against the transmission of STIs, so you can pair them with condoms to make sex safer. 

If you don’t want to use condoms and would like to use one of these other contraceptives to prevent pregnancies, there are still many ways to have safer sex. Using lube will reduce vaginal (or anal) tearing during penetrative sex, and this may reduce the chance of transmitting STIs. Communicating with your sexual partner(s) about sexual history and getting tested regularly are great ways to have safer sex. Finally, choosing to do only certain sexual acts that are both low risk for STI transmission and no risk for pregnancy is a great option - for example, hand jobs, grinding, making out and kissing!

We are getting more and more questions in our “Ask Anything” question box to the right! –> Stay tuned for more questions & answers coming up throughout the week!

Q: I have sores in mouth and have been having oral sex without a condom, only my partner has never done any sexually activities before and neither have I, whats up?

Thanks for your question! Unfortunately, it’s impossible for us to know exactly what the sores are without seeing you in person, but you would be welcome to come into our clinic if you’re in the Montreal area and between 12-25 years old. Our medical clinic happens on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and you just have to arrive between 4:45-5pm to get entered into the draw for that night’s clinic. You can view the clinic schedule and more information on the Head & Hands website. If you can’t come to our clinic, we can help you find a clinic that’s more convenient for you. One thing that’s important to remember is that the doctor will need to see the sores in order to help you figure out what’s going on, so make sure that you go to a clinic while the sores are present.

So although we can’t diagnose anyone over the internet, we can offer some information that may be useful to you. Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s Ask Anything column is answered by Liam, a fantastic Sense animator who facilitates our workshops in schools! As I mentioned before, Sense now has a formspring account where you can ask us anything - any of your awkward, out-there or just plain practical questions about sex. You can ask your questions anonymously at any time in the box to the right –> and we’ll post the answers here on the blog!

Q: is anal and oral sex safe without condoms?

The short answer is no, but, it’s always more complicated than that. For instance, oral and anal sex with condoms isn’t completely safe either. For instance, herpes, HPV (genital warts), and parasitic STIs (crabs, lice, and trichomoniasis) can be passed on even if a condom is used properly because condoms can only protect the area that they cover and these STIs are located all over the genital area, not just on the shaft of a penis. Instead of safe vs. unsafe, it makes more sense to talk about ’safer’ sex. Condoms are a very effective method to prevent the transmission of a lot of STIs, many of which can be passed on through anal and oral sex.

Using a condom for anal sex can be a bit tricky because anuses often have less lubrication than either mouths or vaginas. Be sure to use a water-based lube with a latex condom and to go as slowly as you need to. Be sure not to double-bag (wear 2 condoms at the same time) because they rub together and actually increase the risk of a condom mishap.

For oral sex, condoms or dental dams can prevent the transmission of gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV and Hepatitis A/B/C, and can help reduce the risk of HPV and herpes transmission. But remember that if open sores are present and they’re not covered by the condom or dental dam, infections can be transmitted from skin to skin contact.

The take-away lesson is that proper condom use and caution when there are open sores around will do a lot to keep you safer.

Hope this helps! Happy safer sex!

While you should know that female condoms exist; today, I want to talk about male condoms. Why? Well, if we’re talking about pleasure, we should also be talking about safety.

A few key points about male condoms:

1. Most condoms are made of latex. Only water-based lubes can be used with latex and latex also happens to prevent all sperm, bacteria and viruses from passing through it.
2. Male condoms can also be made out of polyurethane. Therefore, if you or your partner is allergic to latex, this is a good option. And, they can be used with both water and oil based lubes.
3. Lambskin condoms exist; but, the pores are too big to prevent the transmission of some viruses. Bottom line is…You can use them to prevent pregnancy but not for safer sex. Actually, you should always read labels closely to see if your condoms will protect you from STIs.
4. Condoms come in a variety of shapes and sizes because not all penises are the same shape or size.
5. Condoms come in many flavours which is great for oral sex.
6. Do not wear two condoms at the same time!
7. Protect your condoms since you never know when you’ll get lucky. So, don’t stick them in your wallet or keep them loose in your pockets (yup, they can get damaged that way). You could put them in a plastic cigarette case, which you can buy at the dollar store to prevent damage. Always store your condoms in a cool dry place.
8. Be proud, not embarrassed, when you purchase condoms!
9. You can get free condoms at places like Head and Hands, the ACCM, schools and many other community health service providers.
10. For more info and for a very detailed 6 step guide on how to use a male condom, please download our Peer Education Manual and see pages 94 to 97.

Midwest Teen Sex Show on condoms:

Fun condom ad by AIDES:

Mega meta pop phenomenon Lady Gaga is at it again!  As if I needed another reason to love the Lady, her newest tirade about teens and safer sex in this article Lady Gaga’s Message to Fans: “Have Safe Sex” totally made me smile and nod.

I really like this part, where she talks about her fans:

“I see them every night and they are so beautiful and precious and lovely, but some of them are insecure and very troubled and not confident,” she said.

“I meet them and they cry, and they say ‘Gaga you make me feel like I belong’.

“And I think to myself about that one girl or those hundreds of thousands of girls who meet that guy at a club who makes them feel like they belong and they don’t have that negotiation.”

I think she brings up a great point about how body image and self confidence can really impact a person’s enjoyment of sex and their ability to negotiate things like condom use.  Non?

Gaga also recently caused a fuss when she launched her own brand of designer condoms.

Also, whether a person is sexually active or not, they can still wear a garbage bag-like contraption on their heads a la Gaga - SEXY, SAFE AND STYLISH!