Condom

In the U.S. there are a bunch of types of birth control available over the counter without a prescription or talking to a pharmacist. Condoms, internal condoms, spermicide, the sponge, as well as emergency contraception pills and one type of birth control pill.

Using condoms or a dental dam when you have oral sex is important to preventing sexually transmitted infections (STIs). STIs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, HPV, and herpes can be transmitted orally—that is, from mouth to genitals and vice versa—especially if either of you have an open sore or bleeding gums. Using condoms or dental dams makes oral sex safer—and safer can even be more fun!

If you’d like more lubrication than your lubricated condom provides, go for it. Just make sure you use water- or silicone-based lube with latex condoms. Applying more lube to the inside or the outside of a condom—or both—can add to the sensation that there’s nothing in between you and your partner.

Both water-based and silicone-based lubricants are totally safe to use with latex condoms. Steer clear of oil-based lubricants (including massage oil, hand lotion, Vaseline, and all types of cooking oil, including coconut oil) that can cause condoms to break.

Probably not. The most common symptom of all STIs is no symptom at all. STIs are often asymptomatic or display such mild symptoms they go unnoticed or are mistaken for something else. For that reason, most people with an STI don’t know they have one. Even when STIs have no symptoms or only mild symptoms, it’s still possible to pass them to others. Untreated STIs can cause long-term health problems internally long before we’re aware of their effects, so it’s important to get tested regularly.

Latex allergies are rare, but they happen. If you or your partner are allergic to latex, there are non-latex polyurethane condoms you can use to protect against pregnancy and STIs. Lambskin condoms are another option for preventing pregnancy, but they don’t protect against STIs.

No other methods of birth control contain latex, so you can safely use them if you or your partner has a latex allergy.

The best way to prevent Zika is to protect yourself from mosquitos and practice safer sex by using condoms consistently for all kinds of sexual contact. Zika is also another great reason to use birth control carefully and consistently if you’re not trying to get pregnant.