Kevin's Guide to Nelson, New Zealand - Health and Safer Sex issues for men (Condoms and safer sex)

- Safe Sex

- STIs

- Cancers

- Hepatitis

Spectrum (Nelson) Inc.

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Health Issues of importance to all men, gay or otherwise

Condoms and Safe Sex

Safe sex and condom usage are of importance to all men, whether they be gay, straight, or whatever. They are not covered here in great depth, but it is intended as a guide only.
For further detailed information and/or proper diagnosis of any medical problem, refer to a qualified registered medical practitioner - in other words, see your doctor.

Safe Sex Tips for all

HOW DO I AVOID HIV? HIV ("the AIDS virus") is passed on in blood, semen, and vaginal fluids.
SAFE SEX	UNSAFE SEX
Kissing
Jacking off together	Using cum as a lubricant
Sucking and being sucked, unless........	Cum in the mouth. If there's broken skin on his penis or in your mouth (cuts, ulcers, gum infections), use an unlubricated, or flavoured condom instead
Anal sex using an extra-strength condom, without cumming inside him	Anal sex (including pulling out before cumming) without a condom
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF
USE	DO NOT USE
Heaps of water based lubricant (such as Wet Stuff, KY, Champions)	Spit, cum, oil based lubricants (such as Vaseline, Baby Oil, Vitamin E Cream, Crisco)
DO	DO NOT
Consider being counselled and tested	Don't take risks because you're drunk or out of it
Protect your partners and respect yourself	Don't take risks with someone because he says he's 'clean' or 'that it's OK' or because he 'looks healthy'

To buy your condoms on line, you will find a couple of links on the links to Safe Sex Sites page.

Condoms

The use of condoms is still the primary method of safer sex when you participate in sex where you penetrate your partner or he penetrates you.
Even used properly, condoms are not completely foolproof, and they can be ineffective through improper use.

Putting on a condom

	1.Open the pack carefully - using teeth will most likely rip the condom making it useless.
	2.Squeeze all surplus air out of the condom, and pull the foreskin back.
	3.Unroll the condom smoothly over the erection, leaving no pockets of air, then apply water based lubricant to the condom (oil based lubes such as oil and vaseline weaken the condom very quickly so that it will soon break).
	4.After having sex, withdraw the penis while it is still erect, holding on to the base of the condom as you do so.

To help prolong the life of unused/unopened condoms, make sure that you store them properly - in a cool place - the heat from storing them in the glove box in the car etc. weakens the rubber rather quickly.

Lubricant allergies

Most of the condoms that we use in New Zealand have the spermicide nonoxynol-9 in the lubricant that they have on them. In the laboratory, it had been shown that nonoxynol-9 appeared to inhibit HIV. In a 1992 study, involving 138 prostitutes in Nairobi (Kenya) using sponges containing the spermicide (an accepted form of female contraceptive, but not as reliable as the condom) has shown that this is not the case.
Other studies on condoms and nonoxynol-9 show that some women are allergic to the spermicide, resulting in itching, ulcers inside the vagina etc. If you are participating in anal sex and have problems regarding itching etc. afterwards, it could be as a result of an allergic reaction to nonoqynol-9. If this is the case, use condoms that do not have the spermicide in the lube (or give up on anal sex in preference to giving up using condoms which you should never do).

Miscellaneous tips

A drop of water based lubricant inside the tip of the condom will give a better feel to the penis during sex. Keep the shaft of the penis free of lube to stop the condom falling off.
Use extra lube on the outside of the condom - even on the pre-lubricated ones.
Oils (both mineral and vegetable based) and alcohol added to lubricants weaken condoms. Use water based lubes ONLY.
When using condoms during oral sex (and you do not like the taste of rubber), add your own flavours. Try honey, jellies, syrups or anything else that does not contain oils, fats, or alcohol.
Heat (including from when stored in the car's glove compartment), sunlight, moisture, and fluorescent light can all weaken a condom.
Glow in the dark condoms and pre-flavoured ones are (great fun to use) novelty items only and it is very dangerous to use them as a safe sex precaution.

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