Condom

It depends on what you mean by safer. You can’t get pregnant from having anal sex, but anal sex without a condom or internal condom has one of the highest risks of STIs of any kind of sex. The skin of the anal cavity is made up of permeable mucous membranes which means it’s more delicate and absorbs more than regular skin, including the bacteria and viruses that cause STIs. And small tears and cuts are common during anal sex—especially if you’re not using enough lube—which creates additional points of entry for bacteria and viruses and increases the receiving partner’s chances of getting an STI from anal sex.

To protect yourself while having anal sex, use plenty of lube and a barrier method, like condoms or internal condoms with the inner ring removed (just not both types of condoms at the same time).

When it comes to condoms, two is definitely not better than one. Using two condoms or a condom and an internal condom at the same time can create more friction, which increases the chances the condom(s) will break. If you want extra pregnancy prevention, double up with a condom and an effective method of birth control.

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.

It depends on your situation. Unless you’re in a totally exclusive relationship and you and your partner have both been tested recently for every single STI, using condoms with whatever other birth control method you choose is a good idea. Basically, if there’s any chance you or your partner could have an STI, the only way to decrease the risk of transmitting it is by using condoms, internal condoms, dental dams, and/or PrEP, (a medication which decreases the risk of getting HIV.) Other forms of birth control don’t protect against STIs.

Using a condom with another form of birth control is called dual protection. It means you’re being super-safe and protecting yourself against both pregnancy and STIs.

Yes, try using an internal condom. It’s a barrier method that’s inserted into the vagina (instead of covering the penis, like an external condom) that will help protect against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) as well.

Magnums are a little bigger than regular condoms, but the truth is, most men don’t need ‘em. Regular-sized condoms will work for most. If you can stretch a condom over your hand, it will also fit on most penises. For a little more on the subject, check out 2 big 2 fit.

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, and Vaseline) that can cause condoms to break.

Condoms are definitely not reusable. You need to put on a new one each and every time you have sex.

You can’t get pregnant from oral sex, but you can get an STI (sexually transmitted infection). So use condoms or dental dams and get tested regularly.

No. It’d be great if you could tell who had an STI (sexually transmitted infection, a.k.a. STD) and who didn’t, but the most common symptom of all STIs is no symptom at all. STIs are often asymptomatic or display such mild symptoms they go unnoticed and/or are mistaken for something else. For that reason, most people with an STI are unaware they have one.When STIs are asymptomatic or exhibiting mild symptoms, they’re still transmittable to others—and there’s no guarantee the STI will remain asymptomatic in the newly infected individual. Recognizable symptom or not, STIs can wreak havoc internally long before we’re aware of their effects; untreated asymptomatic STIs can pose long-term health risks like liver damage (eg. Hepatitis) and infertility (eg. Chlamydia and gonorrhea).

To protect yourself against STIs, use condoms or internal condoms.

1 in 2 people will contract a sexually transmitted infection (STI) by the time they reach the age of 25—some curable, some not. An astounding 20 million people in the U.S. contract an STI every year, and those are only the STIs which get reported. That number is likely much higher due to under-reporting and many STIs not getting reported at all—some are diagnosed visually, and others are not documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of the 30-plus STIs out there, the CDC only reports on about 8 of them. Things like pubic lice, scabies, and HPV infections among guys are not part of those numbers.

In so far as HPV is concerned, outside of the visual symptoms of genital warts caused by low-risk HPV strains, there’s no way to know if a man has it since he can’t be tested for it. This is one of the reasons why by the age of 50, at least 80% of women will have acquired the infection.

To protect yourself from STIs, use condoms or internal condoms, get tested regularly, and talk openly about sexual health with your partner(s).

In the U.S. the only forms of birth control available over the counter (OTC) are condoms, internal condoms, spermicide, the sponge, and emergency contraception pills. There’s been some debate about whether birth control pills should be sold OTC too as they are in many other countries, but for now you need a prescription.

If you’re looking for a method that requires a prescription, visit your local health clinic or find the nearest one here.