ARE CONDOMS SAFE? What is a condom? A condom is a thin, flexible covering that goes over the penis during sex. Most condoms are made of natural latex (from rubber trees). What are they used for? Condoms are supposed to capture a guy's semen so it won't enter a girl's body. And that's supposed to help prevent pregnancy and the spread of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases). Do they work? Well, let's look at the facts. Obviously they don't work at all unless they're used in the first place. And they don't protect very well if they are used "inconsistently" or "incorrectly." In other words: you have to use them every single time- with no exceptions and follow the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommended seven steps for correct usage. Do most people use them consistently and correctly? Studies vary in specifics but generally report bad news: • Only about half of sexually active adolescents report using a condom the last time they had sex. • When given a basic list of procedures for correct condom use, less than half of sexually active adolescents report they use them correctly. • The more partners a person has, the less likely they are to use condoms (more partners means greater risk, too). • In a study of couples who knew their partner was HIV positive, only about half used condoms consistently. What if I use them most of the time? You're at risk. In fact, the CDC says, "Used inconsistently (less than 100 percent of the time), condoms offer little more protection than when they are not used at all." Good intentions won't protect you. About 15 percent of couples who rely upon condoms to avoid pregnancy will still get pregnant within the first year of use. And even if you do manage to use them consistently and correctly, 2-4 percent of condoms leak, break or slip off. And you're not just at risk for pregnancy. Do condoms prevent all STDs? An STD is a virus, bacteria or other small organism that can be acquired through through sexual contact with someone who has the disease. Some have cures. Some do not. Some are relatively harmless if treated. Some are deadly. Condoms do reduce the risk but do not eliminate the risk of acquiring such STDs as HIV and gonorrhea. They're even less effective at preventing genital herpes, trichmoniasis and chlamydia. Plus, they offer no protection against HPV- one of the most common STDs in America- which causes 90 percent of all cervical cancer. So even if you use them right every time, you're still at risk for some STDs. Should I trust my future to a condom? You figure it out. Based on what you've learned, does it make any sense to trust your life to a little latex? Condoms, when used consistently and correctly, help reduce the rates of pregnancy and the spread of some STDs, but they don't eliminate the risks. Sex is still risky, whether you use a condom or not. It's your life. It's your future. It's your choice. What's the Alternative? In a word - abstinence. Your only safe choice is to save sex for marriage. What fun is that? Well, for starters, you'll be free to pursue your dreams without having to worry about pregnancies or STDs. You won't have guilt, memories or excess baggage to bring to your marriage. And your honeymoon will be a special evening for both of you. And if that's not enough, did you know that studies show that married people report more satisfaction with their sex lives than unmarried couples? What If I've Already Had Sex? It's never too late to start making smarter, healthier choices.You can't change your past, but you can certainly shape you future. Make a new commitment today and live it out. Remember: Condoms don't make sex safe. Only abstinence works every time . Is oral sex "safe sex"? On this point, everyone agrees. Oral sex, like other methods of sex, carries with it the risk of serious, untreatable and even life- threatning diseases in both men and women. Oral sex has been found to spread syphilis, gonorrhea, HIV (HIV causes AIDS), HPV, genital herpes, chlamydia and possibly hepatitis C. Is oral sex really sex? There is a common, growing idea amoung young teens that oral sex isn't really sex. What they say is "real sex", or sexual intercourse, is technically called "coitus" (or vaginal sex - the penetration of the male genital into the female vagina). However, almost any dictionary also contains the secondary definition for sexual intercourse: "intercourse involving genital contact between individuals other than penetration of the vagina by the penis." In other words, any genital contact is "sex." Oral sex really is sex.

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