Safer Sex Information for Lesbian and Bisexual Women
Everyone's heard it, right? The myth that lesbians don't have to worry about sexually transmitted infections (STIs or HIV and AIDS). Our friends tell us that, we tell each other that. Some of us might have even had our health care providers share that misinformation with us. Truth is, your sexual orientation doesn't make you immune to STIs. In fact, in a recent survey of 504 lesbian and bisexual respondents, 26% of women reported having been previously diagnosed with an STI (Reuters Health, 1/26). That's one in four women. Which means we need to respect ourselves and each other by protecting ourselves during sex. Here's the good news. It's relatively easy to protect yourself from STIs once you know the facts.
STIs are illnesses that are passed from one person to another by vaginal, oral, and/or anal intercourse, or by other intimate contact. Their consequences can range from inconvenient, to painful, to life threatening, in the case of HIV. They may be passed by sharing blood (including menstrual blood), semen, or vaginal secretions. There are several methods for reducing your risk for HIV and other STIs. The only sure method for not getting an STI or HIV is through abstinence (not being sexually active). Communicate with your partner and talk about if you want to have sex or not. There's plenty of other ways to express yourself with someone: hugging, kissing, talking, and massage. Use your imagination! Unprotected oral sex can put you at high risk for STI infection and may carry a risk of HIV infection. If you're having oral sex (oral contact with a partner's vagina or anus) use a dental dam or another latex barrier, such as a unlubricated condom cut down the middle. A dental dam is a square piece of latex about five inches on each side available at dental and medical supply stores. And since it can be hard to find dental and medical supply stores, you can also use plastic wrap, available at your local grocery store. If you're having oral sex with a guy, be sure to use an unlubricated condom.
If you're touching someone with your hands use a latex barrier like surgical gloves (you can buy these really cheaply at a drug store!) That's especially true if you have a cut or rash on your hands. If you're sharing a sex toy with your partner such as a dildo make sure to put a condom on the toy, and change condoms in between partners. Or, if you have a toy made of silicone, you can boil it for 3 minutes to sterilize it in between partners.
And other activities… avoid direct genital to genital contact. And make sure that if you're engaged in activities that involve blood or urine that you don't come into contact with these fluids. If you're having sex with guys, be sure to use a condom every time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex. This simple step can prevent pregnancy as well as HIV and STIs! If you're planning on being in a monogamous relationship don't throw out the latex as soon as you've made the commitment! Get tested for HIV and STIs and then wait 6 months and get tested again. It can take 3-6 months for HIV results to come back positive. After that point, if you both come back negative, you can be pretty sure you're at a lower risk level. But honest and open communication is the key! Also, remember if you're drinking alcohol or doing drugs it can affect your judgement and you might do something you would regret. The way to play it safe is to stay sober and keep your head on straight. But if you decide to drink remember to plan ahead before you start drinking "how far" you will go with someone. And stick to it. It is best not to shoot up drugs, because sharing needles puts you at great risk for HIV infection. But if you do decide to shoot up, make sure you don't share needles and use a sterile needle every time. Fore more information call the CDC National STD Hotline (1-800-227-8922), 8am to 11pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. |
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