There is really no decision here.  SAFE SEX is a must, not a maybe.  Unfortunately, in today’s world, sex is not just about love, and lust, and passion.  It carries with it serious implications, like contracting a STD or producing an unwanted pregnancy.  So, it is imperative, for your own health and well-being and that of your partner, that you insist on SAFE SEX!
    More information on the exact symptoms of some Sexually Transmitted Diseases is provided in the “Sex and Your Health” section, but here are some facts to get you thinking in the SAFE SEX direction.  In 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Bethesda, MD, reported that almost 1 in 6 people with HIV in the U.S. were between 13 and 24 years of age.  Despite what you might have been thinking, HIV is not a disease limited to gay men and drug users.  It can affect anyone-even you!  Is SAFE SEX sounding better?  How about this?  The CDC also estimates that 5-10% of all American teens are infected with chlamydia, a STD that can go undetected for years.  Is your partner a carrier?  Limit your risks and practice SAFE SEX!
     Hopefully, you are moving in the SAFE SEX direction, but maybe you don’t know how to approach the topic with your partner.  Push the arrow to go to the next page and practice some SAFE SEX conversations.

Talking about SAFE SEX can be a bit unnerving, but as the saying goes “practice makes perfect.”  So, grab a friend and start the move towards a SAFE SEX relationship.  By the way, choosing when to discuss SAFE SEX with your partner is up to you, but it is generally not a good idea to try to have it when you are turned-on, making-out on the couch, and have clothes thrown all over the floor mode.  Practicing SAFE SEX means you are both aware of your responsibilities to yourselves and one another before the clothes start flying.
 There are many methods of practicing safe sex, like the male condom, the diaphragm, the cervical cap, and the female condom.  We will explain more about these methods in the “Contraceptive” section.  There are also several methods for preventing pregnancies, such as birth control pills, Norplant, Depo-Provera, and IUD.  Since the male condom is the most widely used method, that will be the focus of our SAFE SEX discussions.  Here are some role playing scenes, that we’ve adapted from Jane Neff’s article, Speak up for safer sex, on drdrew.com, to practice:

You, having decided to only practice SAFE SEX, have decided that you will not have sex unless a condom is used -Your partner objects.
 

If your partner says, “Wearing a condom ruins the mood.”
You can try saying, “Feeling safe enhances my mood.” Or
“The safer I feel, the sexier I feel.”

What if your partner says, “Wearing a condom is uncomfortable” or “It doesn’t fit right”
You can try saying, “There are lots of brands of condoms, and a different brand may fit better.”

Maybe your partner will say, “Are you worried about catching something?”
You can say, “It’s something we both should be concerned with.” or “Yes, but using a condom will reduce my worries.”

It is possible that your partner will say, “I don’t know how to put this on.”
You can say, “Let me help you.”  Or  “Let’s read the directions together.”

Or, your partner might try using the lamest excuse in the book, “Don’t you trust me.”
To this brilliant excuse, you can say, “You expect me to trust you, when you don’t even want to protect me.” Or “My health is way more important than you doubting the way I feel about you.”

Remember, SAFE SEX makes sense!  So, take it upon yourself to protect yourself and your partner.

Source: Jane Neff, "Speak up for safer sex," drdrew.com