Safer sex for the new millennium
Story by ANN FINSTAD
Photos by TRILISA M. PERRINE
I admit it. Even as a single gal, one of those most prone to the disasters of one night stands and shady characters, safe sex isn't always one of the foremost things on my mind.
But don’t get me wrong, I’m far from laissez faire when it comes to the risks involved. I don’t carry a wide array of sizes and colors of condoms in my purse a la the ladies of Sex and the City. I went off birth control after I started worrying about the lethal mix of Ortho and cigarettes; and I’m more likely to ask a guy his favorite band than the last time he was tested. The truth is, during that long week I waited for the results of the annual Chlamydia test that is recommended for those under 25, I sometimes wished that safe sex was a little higher on the priority spectrum.
Let’s face it, those of us who came of a proper sexual age in the mid-to-late nineties (like me) are somewhat spoiled. Not spoiled like our parents' generation's free love mindset that came with the '60s and '70s – but we don’t have the serious spectre of AIDS either, which invaded public consciousness in the '80s and made the phrase "no glove, no love" mainstream slang. In the past 10 years especially, HIV/AIDS has become a livable disease, rather than a terminal sentence. Doctors have discovered that transmission rates are lower than previously thought.
But these and other hopeful statistics of the new millennium shouldn’t stop us from being scared. We shouldn’t stop worrying about who our partners are, and who they’ve been with before we sneak them past our roommate’s doors or into the supply closet at a club. We also shouldn’t count on condoms and the hope-and-prayer method to keep us safe from the list of things we may be exposed to.
It’s a list that grows longer every day. I’ll never forget the day when my sister and I were dining with our mother at California Pizza Kitchen and she decided to helpfully blurt out, "Did you know you can get gonorrhea of the throat?" I learned two things that day: never spend time with my mother after she’s been delving into episodes of "20/20" or "Dateline," and if there’s one thing that can turn you off from the best pizza on the planet, it’s the phrase "gonorrhea of the throat."
In another case, a close friend of mine developed genital warts even after having supposed "safe sex" while on vacation in France. But, all jokes aside, this is one thing that we can’t blame the French for. It’s every person’s own responsibility to protect themselves, protect their partners and be aware of what you’re exposing (or not exposing) your body to. This goes for pregnancy, STDs and the sleazy guys in the apartment upstairs.
In fact, I shouldn’t even use the misnomer "safe sex," because just like your tenth grade health teacher warned you before he put a condom on a banana, no sex is 100% safe. You could drop the phone on your foot in a moment of release, for example. Even with every tip and trick of the trade employed you can still develop STDs through human error (even without intercourse), from shared sex toys and even (in the case of crabs) poorly laundered linens or the infamous toilet seat. But by using the methods below, even if you can’t be guaranteed sex that’s 100% safe, you can feel a little more secure the next time your Chlamydia test rolls around.
Condoms: The end-all, be-all of safe(r) sex condoms come in every variety under the sun. The three main types of male condom (no, not small, large, and John Holmes) are latex, polyurethane, and lambskin. However, lambskin doesn’t protect against STDs, so use it only for pregnancy protection. Condoms have a high effectiveness rate against pregnancy (up to 97 percent if used correctly), however, condoms cannot protect against the herpes or human papilloma (genital wart) viruses if sores or warts are present on surrounding skin. Condoms also do occasionally break or slip, so using those with another form of protection (such as spermicide) can also help to combat unwanted pregnancy.
Female condom/dental dams: The female condom is a relatively recent arrival to the market (especially when you consider that male condoms have been around in different shapes or forms for centuries). The female condom is a thin polyurethane sheath that is inserted into the vagina before intercourse and is generally less effective than its male counterpart at preventing pregnancy (79 to 95 percent effectiveness rate). Both male and female condoms can also be cut and used as a dental dam to prevent transmission of STDs during oral sex. If you are in a pinch, Saran Wrap also works as a dental dam. Just make sure it doesn’t come from the leftover pizza in your fridge.
Lubricants: Condoms are often used in conjunction with lubricants (both spermicidal and regular). However, oil-based lubricants (such as Crisco or Vaseline) may compromise condoms' integrity, so stick with water-based. Another good thing about water-based lubricants is that recently some have shown to decrease the transmission of STDs. Some lubricants are also spermicides containing nonoxynol-9.You can also get spermicidal creams and foams that assist in preventing pregnancy, but they have not been proven to prevent STDs.
Now as any avid reader of Cosmo knows, STD prevention is only half of the game when it comes to heterosexual encounters. This is where it gets complicated. Where men only have one option at the moment, (a male pill of women’s dreams is still not on the market), women have more methods than Carrie Bradshaw has shoes.
Surgical Options: Most 21- to 35-year-olds probably aren’t thinking about surgery as a viable birth-control option, but it is out there. Although vasectomies are reversible in most cases, the expense and trouble involved with either surgery probably isn’t worth it for anyone who even considers having children in the future.
IUD: The Intrauterine Device (IUD) has a 99.9 percent effectiveness rate at preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus, which is the highest-rate besides abstinence. It is a plastic device containing copper or hormones that is placed in the uterus that prevents fertilization of an egg. An IUD must be inserted by a doctor, but is a completely reversible method of birth control. Side effects include pelvic infection which can lead to sterility.
Diaphragm/cervical cap: Intravaginal devices have been around since ancient Egypt, when women inserted crocodile dung into their vaginas to prevent pregnancy. Fortunately, one no longer has to troll the Nile and risk the loss of an arm when it comes to contraceptive options. Both are barrier methods that are inserted into the vagina before sex that must remain in place for a given amount of time after sex. The diaphragm has an 84 to 94 percent effectiveness rate. A cervical cap is less effective with a prevention rate of 68 to 74 percent. Using the diaphragm in conjunction with condoms and spermicides can increase effectiveness.
Hormonal treatments: There are a variety of different methods available of hormonal pregnancy prevention. They range from the patch, the pill, the Nuva-Ring, Depo-Provera injections, to even Norplant (which is no longer on the market). All have up to 99 percent effectiveness with perfect use, although the rate can decrease to 90 percent or less when instructions are not followed exactly.
Lumino is not a licensed physician, therefore, follow the advice of the commercials that feature liberated-looking women running through fields and ask your doctor which method is right for you.
Emergency Contraception: The morning-after pill (aka Preven or Plan B) has faced some controversy since its recent introduction. Essentially a high-dose birth control pill, it is not the same as the abortion pill, RU-486. If taken within five days after unprotected intercourse, it can reduce the likelihood of pregnancy up to 89 percent by preventing ovulation, stopping fertilazation, or preventing a fertilized egg from implanting in the uterus. Side effects can include nausea and vomiting. Emergency contraception is not intended as a primary form of birth control.
When it comes to sex in modern times, it’s easy to see how you can lose your head (especially if you’re a male praying mantis). But keeping these methods in mind, you can make your sexual encounters less harrowing while retaining your health and sanity in the process. But when it comes to the guy who doesn’t call? That, sadly, is your own problem.
