10 out of 10
Pairs nicely with Cranberry juice. It’s good for your body, which means it’s good for your soul.
So we all know that I am passionate about sexual health in general. However, one of the main areas that I direct that passion is around STI stigma. I fight it wherever I can, including my workshops with students. I will gladly tell all of my partners when I was last tested, that I expect them to know their status, and I always have a condom with me when I think I’m going to get laid.
My blog has a tendency to be geared towards sexual pleasure, and I love what I write about. However, my tweets often delve into the realm of sexual health as well! It’s easy for me to schedule some tweets in advance, reminding people to get tested. I also tweet about all the times that I bang other people, and how I do so safely!
I love to write about sexual health, but for the people who follow me, it feels pretty 101 level. So I leave it at the door a lot. It doesn’t usually need a thousand word blog post from me. However, in all my erotica, I mention barriers. I try to casually include sex safety in my personal stories and essays. I have even spent long hours bragging about how I pushed a fellow into the rain to retrieve condoms from his car before we could bang it out.
However, I would be remiss if I didn’t tackle the basics at least once in this blog. I’m long overdue, so here we go. I’m going to something that I call my Top Three Tips for Banging Safely with Minimum Impact on Your Lifestyle. I call it that because it’s the name of the list. It’s a very long title, which is why it’s not the title of the post, just the title of the list.
First hint! Always have barriers and other sex safety supplies on hand! I keep a basket full of sex gear right next to my bed. It has condoms, dental dams, gloves and lube. When I feel the sexy times starting, I can reach right over for anything I need. I don’t have to dig through a drawer! I have regular condoms, extra large, lube-free, and latex-free. That way, any partner that shows up has the options they need to bang me!
In addition to what I have in my own home, I have my Safer Sex Kit, also called my Sex on the Go Kit. This kit comes with me on any extended trip, and any place where I think I may get laid. I am careful to store it in safe temperatures for condoms. It has all the same stuff my bed-side basket does. However, it’s organized into a small make-up case with a bullet vibe. This way, I can get off or get partners off anywhere I am. The most recent add-on was mouthwash because semen does not taste great. And because morning breath is my mortal enemy.
Between these two places, I will always have the things I need to safely bang someone. And in the two instances that my own condoms were not near, I made sure that someone else had them available. I have been lucky enough to spend my time with very safe humans. However, I know that I would have made good decisions if condoms weren’t available. I owe it to myself to be safe. I owe to my partners to be safe. And I don’t want to spend anymore time and money on medical issues than I have to.
However, how do you know what’s safe if you’re not educated? That’s the second tip! It’s important to get out there and know as much as you can about sexual safety. For example, it is safe to use Saran Wrap as a dental dam! In a pinch, most households have that simple barrier. When it comes to condoms, I find many people know how to use them, but many do not know when they are safe. Are your condoms stored properly? If not, they could deteriorate and lose structural integrity. This is another reason that condom expiration dates are so important! Be sure to use the first condoms you bought first, to make sure you aren’t wasting those that expire first.
It also helps to know how STIs work. For example, HIV is very fragile outside of the body and deteriorates fast, which is why it’s hard to contract it from things like shared toilet seats. I wipe toilet seats before sitting, but that’s it. Skin is semi-permeable. Only water gets through, and even then it takes a long time (think about prune-y fingers in the bathtub and how long that takes). Additionally, many STIs are called such because they can only transmit through vaginal fluids, semen or blood. They don’t exist in saliva enough to be transmitted through those channels. Additionally, knowing that most STIs are very treatable helps you defeat your own internalized stigma, and have less fear. With a clearer head, you can have more fun and make healthier decisions.
When all else fails, tip three is here to help. The last tip to stay sexually safe is to know your own status. Personally, I make it a point to get tested every six months. If I’ve had a lot of partners, I might get tested more, but it depends. I test through my Primary Care Physician, which is covered by insurance. It costs some lab fees, which add up to around $130 every time. That is nothing to sneeze at, I know. This a priority I set in my own budget so I can stay healthy and keep those around me healthy too.
However, I recently found STDcheck.com. I realize the acronym STD is out of date, but their service is not. They work with a series of contracted labs to provide testing nationwide. It’s easy to find something close. In addition to convenience, the fee for STDcheck.com is only about $200. You get a ten-panel test. Since it is independent of insurance, it’s easy to do. And yes, it does sound like a scam. However, I have used this service and it is a valid and legitimate service. It took less than 30 minutes to get blood drawn and a urine sample. I had all my results within three or four business days. Which means I could get back to business, if you know what I’m saying.
This is the last fail safe in my eyes. If you know you have made a minor mistake, or had an accident happen, you can know the results and take appropriate measures in the future. That’s why this step is both the last, and the most important. In a way, it’s being edu
cated about yourself.
Without further ado, that’s all, folks! Being safe is sometime difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. For my part, I know I feel sexier when I know my sexual health. This may seem like 101 level information, but I hope it helps you navigate your future sexy encounters.