How to discuss STI status, sexual history, and safer sex with your partner
Reading Time: 8 minutes Our âsexpertâ answers your questions on how to talk to your partner about sexual history, STI/STD status, and having safer (and enjoyable) sex.
Reading Time: 8 minutes Our âsexpertâ answers your questions on how to talk to your partner about sexual history, STI/STD status, and having safer (and enjoyable) sex.
This is a very important question to bring up. The stigmas surrounding getting tested for a sexually transmitted infection (STI)âalso called sexually transmitted diseases (STD)âcan be difficult to confront, yet it can be done. Hereâs how.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Talk about why it’s important.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:20|text_align:left|color:%23e64949″ google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1508878562820{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Shift focus from âYou might have an STIâ to âItâs just a precaution.â For example, explain to your partner that this is the best way to protect each other from infections or any lifelong illnesses. That might help them realize thereâs nothing to be defensive about.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Offer to get tested with them. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:20|text_align:left|color:%23e64949″ google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1508878578977{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]And then share your results with each other. This lets your partner know that you want to protect each other.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Make a pact to get tested regularly.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:20|text_align:left|color:%23e64949″ google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1508878583443{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]This shows your partner that this is a step in taking care of each other. It can also show respect and that you donât want to unknowingly infect each other.[/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”Halt any sexual activity until youâve both been tested. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:20|text_align:left|color:%23e64949″ google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Condensed%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1508878587942{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Let them know youâre not comfortable having sex or hooking up unless they’re willing to get tested. Itâs important not to compromise your values of how you take care of yourself on someone who’s unwilling to take care of themselves or consider the effects on you.
Itâs not uncommon for people to get defensive when asked to get a test like this. STIs have a lot of stigma associated with them. Because of that, some people think that being asked to get tested means theyâre perceived as âdirtyâ or that theyâre âsleeping around.â
But STI testing is highly recommended for college-aged students who are sexually active. According to the CDC, people between the ages of 15 and 24 account for half of all the 19 million new STIs that are transmitted each year. While some STIs have symptoms, most do not. Many people donât know that theyâre infected until they get tested. This is why testing is so important.
For more information, check out the following:
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]âCris M.*, Georgia Gwinnett College
I get a lot of questions about the pullout method, also known as coitus interruptus or the withdrawal method. Itâs the third most commonly used form of birth control among college students, according to the National College Health Assessment survey (fall 2015, involving 90,000 students).
The short answer: Yes, pulling out can prevent pregnancies on its own, when used correctly. But it isnât the most effective form of birth control. If youâre using this method, itâs best to use it in conjunction with another form of contraception to decrease the likelihood of unintended pregnancy.
Hereâs what you need to know:
When not used correctly, 27 women out of 100 who rely on pulling out will become pregnant each year, according to Planned Parenthood. However, when withdrawal is done perfectly, those unplanned pregnancies are reduced to about 4 out of 100 women each year. In other words, if you are not using another method of birth control, itâs extremely important to use withdrawal correctly.
Many errors can occur while using the pullout method. The most important thing to keep in mind is to avoid having ejaculate fluid come into contact with the vulva (the outside of the vagina) or the vagina. This includes pre-ejaculate fluid, also known as pre-cum, as pre-cum can contain viable sperm that could cause pregnancy.
Being able to pull out prior to ejaculation is something that a man needs to know how to do. As a sex educator, Iâm not in the business of telling people what to do unless itâs to prevent harm to themselves or others. That said, for this method to be used correctly, a man must understand his body and pull out prior to ejaculation.
To master this technique, a man can masturbate alone. This helps him understand his body and what it feels like for him right before ejaculation. Itâs important to practice this several times before trying it out with a partner. If a man isnât comfortable with masturbation, using another form of contraception instead of the pullout method might make more sense. Understanding how the body feels prior to ejaculation is crucial to withdrawing correctly.
Communication is also key for the pullout method to work. Being able to talk about where a person is going to âpull outâ to ejaculate is important, as well as when to stop stimulation so that the person has time to withdraw before ejaculating outside the body.
There are many opportunities for pulling out to fail. This can be a difficult contraception method to implement. It requires knowledge of the body and the ability to pull out despite distractions. While masturbation can help a male to understand his body, it isnât guaranteed. Plus, pulling out provides no protection from sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Many forms of contraception are more effective than the pullout method. In fact, itâs even better to use the pullout method in addition to another form of birth control, to further decrease the risk of unintended pregnancy. For example, if a man puts on a condom before pre-ejaculatory fluid (pre-cum) is released, and then pulls out, ejaculating outside of the body in the condom, no sperm will come into contact with the vulva or vagina.
Compare birth control methods: Bedsider
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