Relationships and Sex

The biggest areas of advice that men look for help in are actually not areas of advice that deal with contraceptives. Within the field of contraceptives, it is reasonably obvious that whether they know about contraceptives or not, men are going to keep that information to themselves and not solicit advice on the topic. That having been said however, the area of sex in general does get a lot of discussion amongst both men and women, far more than the specific area of contraceptives receives in relation to safe sex. The advice that people seek however is not about the use of contraceptives or safe sex, but rather about sex and timing. People want to know how much pressure can be put on the other partner to have sex or even when the timing might be right in order to try and initiate a sexual act. The answers to these questions are not easy, but if you start with some ground rules you should be on safe ground when it comes to having sex with your partner.
Always be Prepared
The single most important piece of advice that anyone can give you when it comes to relationships and sex is that you should always make sure that you are prepared for sex one way or another. Condoms should always be available in your house when your partner is over so that if sex does happen, you will be ready for it. If you do not have any contraceptives available and sex does happen, you run the risk of unwanted pregnancy or illness, both of which can be effective at derailing any future attempts at sex that you or your partner might attempt to initiate. For this reason, always being prepared with some contraceptives so that any sex you have is safe sex is always the best piece of advice that you can get.
Read your Partner’s Feelings
The next thing you need to do when it comes to sex is read your partner’s feelings. Regardless of whether you have contraceptives or not, the sexual act is one that needs to be wanted by both partners in order for it to be truly fulfilling. It is legitimate to a certain extent to be a little pushy when it comes to initiating sex with a partner, as there are nerves that come into play that can quickly be dispelled by actually engaging in the act of sex. That having been said however, there is a big difference between nervousness and a genuine lack of interest in having sex at that point and as a loving partner, it will be your job to ensure that you are able to understand this difference within your partner. When in doubt, err on the side of not having sex just to be safe, just as you would be purchasing and keeping condoms around just in case.
Conclusion
When it comes to relationships and sex it is always better to be safe than sorry. This is analogous to the use of contraceptives during sex as contraceptives help promote the idea of safe sex. If you keep this in mind, you’ll be fine in your sexual endeavors.

Safe Sex Methods, Part III

Method #6: The Birth Control Pill
As you can probably guess from the title of this particular method, it is a method that has to do with preventing pregnancy rather than preventing disease. For this reason, if you are interested in something like AIDS prevention, the birth control pill is really not the method for you to choose. You should choose one of the other methods that have been noted as ways to prevent the spread of disease and the mixing of fluids, as both of those things are central to the idea of AIDS prevention. The birth control pill is something that is taken by the woman after engaging in sex. It has the ability to alter the woman’s menstrual cycle and in doing so prevent the possibility of an egg being fertilized in any way, shape or form. Of course, the pill is not 100% effective, which is why it should be combined with some other form of safe sex such as male condoms. Such a combination would also deal with AIDS prevention as well as other problems stemming from risk of sexually transmitted diseases.
Method #7: Diaphragm
This particular device does not refer to anything that has to do with the diaphragm that is a muscle in your stomach, but rather the device that can be used as a form of birth control if it is inserted into the woman’s vagina before she engages in sex. This is a dual purpose safe sex method which means that it has the ability to protect both against unwanted pregnancy and also against sexually transmitted disease. For this reason, the diaphragm is an effective AIDS prevention tool. The main problem with the diaphragm for these purposes is that it tends to be quite expensive. A woman has to undergo an examination and have the device fitted to her particular biology and for that reason it can sometimes be out of reach of many people. For a woman that can afford to have one however, it is usually a better method than condoms as over the course of time the condoms will be used and disposed whereas the diaphragm can be used an unlimited number of times after it is acquired by the woman.
Method #8: Sponge
One final method that is worth mentioning in this series of methods dealing with safe sex is the sponge. The sponge used to be a very popular method for birth control and AIDS prevention, but it has since become less popular in favour of other methods such as the use of a diaphragm. The sponge is a small sponge that is inserted into the vagina before sex takes place and contains a large amount of sperm-killing substance on it. Therefore, it blocks and absorbs the semen before it can enter the cervix and kills all of the sperm cells before they can get by. For this reason, the sponge was an older method of AIDS prevention and birth control that was very popular, but its relative expense and disposability soon found it losing ground to the female condom when that particular product was made reliable.

Safe Sex Methods, Part II

Method #3: Withdrawal
The withdrawal method was perhaps the first real birth control or safe sex method to be developed as part of the sex education curriculum and the reason for this is a very simple one. The withdrawal birth control method is really the only one that does not utilize anything else in a material sense and for that reason it is quite easy for different couples to utilize this method for their birth control needs. The withdrawal method is simply a method that has the man pull out of the woman before orgasm and in doing so prevent the sharing of fluids that is where the problems can start both in terms of unwanted pregnancy and in terms of sexually transmitted disease. This method is a cheap and effective one if used properly, but it does require discipline on the part of the man to pull out before any ejaculation occurs. For this reason, many people prefer the other methods available. That having been said however, withdrawal is a foolproof safe sex practice if two people with discipline practice it whenever they happen to engage in sexual activity.
Method #4: Male Condoms
Perhaps the most popular birth control method currently available on the market is the male condom. It was the first one to be created on a manufacturing basis and ever since its creation, birth control has become a big part of the safe sex curriculum as tools have become available that have the ability to actually help in curbing the exchange of fluids that is the main causal element in disease transmission and pregnancy. A male condom is essentially a sheath that is placed over the man’s penis before penetration occurs. The man can ejaculate while still penetrating the woman and all of the fluid will be contained within the condom rather than spread out into the woman’s vagina. It is a simple principle yet one that has been effective enough for condoms to be utilized all over the world in campaigns to help stop the spread of sexually transmitted diseases as well as to stop unwanted pregnancy from happening. Male condoms are disposable after a single use however and over time can end up getting expensive if the couple has sex often.
Method #5: Female Condoms
Hot on the heels of the release of the first male condom was the release of the first female condom. Female condoms function in the same way as male condoms do essentially, but are created with the female anatomy in mind. This particular birth control method, rather than forming a sheath around the man’s penis, instead forms a protective barrier around the interior of the woman’s vagina. In doing so, it prevents any sperm from entering into the vagina and potentially causing any harm. Both female condoms and male condoms are 99%+ effective on their own but when the two are combined, the end result is that a practically foolproof birth control method is created. The price concern with male condoms is also present with female condoms however, which is probably the main drawback to this particular method.

Safe Sex Methods Part 1

Introduction

Sexual exploration and sexual activity are starting to become more prevalent in younger ages in the current generation. With the oversexed society that we live in today, the simple truth of the matter is that teenagers are going to be exposed to sex at younger ages and for that reason plans need to be made for when teenagers inevitably decide to have sex one way or the other and whether to use condoms or not. There are many plans that can be put in place either for prevention or for dealing with sex and one of those plans is known as the safe sex approach. The safe sex approach is built around a number of different potential methods that can be used and for that reason it has really become the most popular method for sex education in the world today. With multiple methods to choose from, each person can pick the one that they feel would be best for them in their current life situation.

Method #1: Abstinence
One of the most controversial methods of safe sex that is utilized today is simply the method of abstinence. This is not really a safe sex method when you consider that the basic premise of this method is to avoid sex until a point in time where the consequences or potential consequences can be dealt with appropriately, but at the same time it needs to be discussed in any safe sex discussion for the simple reason that abstinence remains the most taught method around as far as sex education is concerned. The argument made by proponents of this method is that abstinence is the only sure fire method for birth control and to avoid sexually transmitted diseases. This is technically true since sex is avoided entirely and with other methods a 100% success rate is a theoretical impossibility, but studies have shown repeatedly that for practical terms, there are many other safe sex methods that are just as good as abstinence that allow teenagers to explore their natural sexual impulses.

Method #2: Monogamy
When teenagers are engaging in sexual relations, there is the impulse on the part of many teenagers to attempt to do this with more than one partner at the same time. Why this impulse exists is a question for sociologists to tackle, but scientists can already show with startling clarity that multiple sexual relationships at once increases the chance for a negative side effect such as a sexually transmitted disease. AIDS in particular is a disease that has been shown to have logarithmic increases in the transmission as the number of sexual partners gets larger. For this reason, one reasonably smart alternative to abstinence is monogamy. Monogamy means having just one sexual partner at a time and it is the foundation for the deeper and more meaningful relationships that tend to develop around sex as well. While it too is not really a safe sex method in the modern sense of the word, it is nonetheless taught as such in most of the sex education classes that do not deal with abstinence.

Condoms and Pregnancy

Most teen girls are curious when it comes to sex in general; this means curiosity about condoms as well as other forms of birth control and types of sex. A question that can be heard all over the place among girls in wide variations of age is “Can you get pregnant if the guy wears a condom.” A lot of people are under the impression that you are one hundred percent safe as long as there is a condom present, but is it true? Do condoms always protect you one hundred percent of the time? This answer as shocking as it may be is no, even if the guy wears a condom you can still become pregnant and are still susceptible to STDs.

Condoms are usually ninety seven percent to ninety eight percent effective when used correctly. However, doing things like purchasing the wrong size condom can drop the percentage of condom effectiveness dramatically, enabling you to get pregnant even if the guy wears a condom.

When a guy buys a condom that is too small, and tries to use it anyways, the condom may roll downwards allowing semen to come out of the condom into the female’s body. If a guy is wearing a condom that is too big, semen can spill out of the edges into the female’s body. Both of these circumstances can lead in AIDs, STDs, as well as unplanned pregnancy. These things can all endanger both the male and female from having a normal life.

Condom companies like Durex condoms, Trojan Condoms, Lifestyles Condoms, and Crown Condoms among others do their best to prevent accidents with their condoms. All of these condoms make various sizes and types of condoms to enable the best protection possible and even include directions. Making sure you and your partner both know how to put on a condom is important too, it is not only the guys responsibility. If a girl doesn’t know how to put on a condom, she won’t be able to catch it if her partner does something wrong, creating a greater risk for AIDs, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and unplanned pregnancy. By making sure you both know the proper way to put on a condom, you are insuring the safest sex possible.

Safe sex shouldn’t stop at condoms though, condoms may break and mistakes do happen. If you are a sexually active female you should also look into other forms of birth control to use, aside from just condoms and this way you are protecting yourself from becoming a mother before you are ready. The same thing goes for males, condoms are not the only way to safe sex, so educating yourself on all forms of birth control is very important. Birth control includes any type of preventative measure from getting pregnant this includes spermicidal lubrication, sponges, male condoms, female condoms, as well as other various methods and knowing all of them are really important is key. Knowledge is power when it comes to being sexually active, so make sure to keep yourself educated.

HIV in Hetrosexual African

As a Hispanic woman, I can say that as a race, we have a culture all our own. Weddings are usually huge with cousins of cousins attending and aunts making brisket and rice and beans in the back kitchen. Gatherings, whether they are for holidays or birthdays or graduation parties are always enormously food-centric, so instead of asking the host what you should get as a gift, you are usually asking what food and how much you should bring. All races have their own cultural norms, so it is not surprising that research studies would focus on race as a factor for behavior. A study published in the journal “AIDS” in June 2008 by researchers at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) demonstrates that HIV prevention techniques geared towards changing the behavior of heterosexual African Americans needs to consist of many distinct characteristics in order to be effective.
Lynae Darbes, a professor of medicine at UCSF’s Center for AIDS Prevention Studies and Global Health Sciences and the lead author of the study states, “Peer education, skills training and cultural tailoring were critical factors we found in interventions that increased condoms use, reduced HIV risk behaviors and led to lower rates of sexually transmitted infections. It is important to recognize the diversity that exists within the African American community, and we are not recommending 'one size fits all' types of interventions. Successful interventions honed in on specific aspects of the target populations." The study was comprised of roughly 14,000 participants in a series of 38 controlled trials that were randomized in terms of social norms. Some examples of the norms that were focused on include how one person might perceive their risk factor for contracting AIDS, how to reduce sexual partners, their use of condoms, how to delay the first episode of sex with a new partner or a compilation of these norms. Results from the study point towards members of the African American community educating their peers in order to be more effective.
Darbes goes on to say, “Cultural tailoring was crucial and in effective interventions was derived from activities such as formative research within the target community using a 'ground up' approach as opposed to a top down or 'parachute' approach. Understanding the community was important in developing efficacious interventions." The study analyzed the controlled trials and quantified with measurements of condom use, percentage rates of unsafe or risky sex and the number of sexually transmitted diseases reported. George W. Rutherford, a co-author of the study, states, “This study shows how the technique of meta-analysis can be used to understand an entire literature and to find subtle but important associations that single studies simply can't find."

Elite AIDS Case

Being elite spurs images of crystal champagne flutes, first-class airline leather recliners, private jets ready to take their passengers to whatever city their whim fancies and five star hotel suites. However, for one woman in Baltimore, being “elite” is quite a different scenario. This woman was diagnosed with HIV ten years ago and yet one would never know it as her body has never displayed one single symptom of the virus.
The Baltimore woman and her husband were both diagnosed with HIV at the same time; however, while it is necessary for her husband to take antiretroviral drug treatments daily, she has never had to take these strong HIV drug cocktails as her body naturally combats the virus. Researchers are studying this woman’s immune system very carefully as she may literally be the key to developing an AIDS vaccine. A team of researchers at John Hopkins University describe this woman as an “elite suppressor.” Joel Blankson who is heading the research team states, “This is the best evidence to date that elite suppressors can have [the] fully pathogenic virus. The feeling was initially that they had [a] defective virus.”
The woman’s immune system is different than that of her husband’s, which is apparent considering they both contracted the same virus strand. Blankson goes on to say, “That’s a good sign in terms of developing a therapeutic vaccine.” While the developed vaccine would not be able to prevent a person from contracting the virus, it would be very helpful in its treatment. With 33 million people suffering from the virus worldwide and 25 million people who have succumbed to the disease, AIDS is still a very dangerous adversary. New studies have estimated that over 55,000 in the United States alone contract the virus; facts show that the disease is usually highest in the gay and bisexual population, and among those who do not use condoms; but it can also be transmitted through drug use, heterosexual sexual encounters without safe sex, from mother to unborn child and through blood transfusions.
Blankson and his colleagues ran tests on the Baltimore woman’s immune system and discovered that her immune cells (CD8 T-cells) were able to stop the virus from replicating by almost 90 percent; meanwhile her husband’s own T-cells were only able to stop the virus from replicating by 30%. In addition, while the virus has grown weaker in her body, her husband’s virus has maintained its strength. Blankson states, “Elite suppression offers clues to vaccine researchers on many fronts: how CD8 killer T-cells can attack HIV and how a stronger immune response can force HIV into a permanent defensive state. We are trying to figure out exactly how the T-cells work in her to inhibit viral replication.” Some researchers in the study have pointed to the fact that the woman has high activity in her HLA (human leukocyte antigen) system. This system is responsible for recognizing harmful foreign bodies, like bacteria and viruses. Only time will tell what more data the researchers can garner from this woman’s case in order to help them in their quest to create an AIDS vaccine.

Is HIV / AIDS Overfunded ?

Just like we all instantly know the pink ribbon is the symbol for the fight against breast cancer, we automatically think of the global fight against AIDS when we see the red ribbon on lapels, hanging from buildings and on the bottom corner of AIDS/HIV campaign posters. Countries and organizations funnel millions upon millions of dollars a year into the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic which currently afflicts approximately 33 million people around the globe. In fact, according to data provided by the Global Health Council, about 80% of America’s aid earmarked for population issues and health issues goes towards the fight against AIDS. Now, what some researchers, scientists and politicians are asking is whether too much aid is being provided for this one global disease. Especially when the disease can be prevented 99.9% of the time by simply wearing condoms.
Researchers and critics have begun asking this question as they worry that AIDS is sucking money away from other pressing, but less publicly exposed, health issues around the world. With the exclusion of Africa, AIDS/HIV has become a manageable disease as some experts point out. One critic of the money being spent for AIDS/HIV is Jeremy Shiffman from Syracuse University whose studies focus on health spending, “AIDS is a terrible humanitarian tragedy, but it's just one of many terrible humanitarian tragedies.” Even more vocal on the subject is Roger England from the Health Systems Workshop. England is calling for UNAIDS to be disbanded and states, “The global HIV industry is too big and out of control. We have created a monster with too many vested interests and reputations at stake... too many relatively well paid HIV staff in affected countries, and too many rock stars with AIDS support as a fashion accessory."
Responding to England’s statements is Paul de Lay from UNAIDS, “We have an epidemic that has caused between 55 million and 60 million infections. To suddenly pull the rug out from underneath that would be disastrous." De Lay insists that while it may appear the epidemic has been managed with drugs and multiple HIV campaigns around the world, this line of thinking could not be further from the truth. England feels that the annual budget of $200 million for UNAIDS would be better suited to address more pressing health issues like pneumonia which claims more children’s lives each year than AIDS, measles and malaria altogether. England states, "By putting more money into AIDS, we are implicitly saying it's OK for more kids to die of pneumonia."
Many critics also cite the fact that health and financial resources often get misallocated. One example is demonstrated in the country of Rwanda where, in 2006, close to $50 million was allocated for the fight against HIV/AIDS, $18 million was allocated to the fight against malaria (the number one killer in Rwanda) and only $1 million was allocated to fight various childhood diseases. Activists and researchers for health issues other than AIDS fight to get any financial resources but often have a hard time drawing attention away from the popular AIDS/HIV global battle. John Oldfield from Water Advocates (an agency that campaigns for clean sanitation and water) states, “Diarrhea kills five times as many kids as AIDS. Everybody talks about AIDS at cocktail parties. But nobody wants to hear about diarrhea." With a recession currently in place, the focus of correctly allocating money for various health issues is even more pressing. States Shiffman, “I do not want to see the cause of AIDS harmed. For AIDS to crowd out other issues is ethically unjust." More money should be spent on the prevention of HIV/AIDS through safe sex education and promoting the use of condoms.

Condoms, Contraception and Women

Literally moments ago, I had an e-mail conversation with a friend who had an appointment to get birth control pills this afternoon. After having a longer than normal lunch with her husband, she lost track of time and realized she would have to reschedule her appointment with her gynecologist. Normally, for most women, this would not pose any problem, but my very good friend has had two oops moments that resulted in two precious babies born fifteen months apart because she had done exactly what she did today…miss her appointment for birth control. Birth control is one of those things that you don’t really want to mess with…ask my friend. According to recent research out of the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, however, women see birth control as more than just a way to prevent pregnancies; the method a woman chooses to prevent pregnancy and the transmission of STDs also helps determine how pleasurable and satisfied she is sexually.
The new study reveals that many women feel that condoms actually decrease the pleasure felt from sex, but that those women who utilize both condoms and some type of hormonal contraception like birth control pills actually feel that they are more sexually satisfied. The researchers understand that the findings sound inconsistent but they believe it is an indication that women think of sex in two different arenas: sexual satisfaction (overall) and sexual enjoyment (each encounter). When women were asked about the satisfaction they felt overall about their sexual lives (which consists of how a woman feels about the relationship she is in and her sexual self-esteem), those women who utilized a hormonal birth control method combined with condoms ranked the highest in terms of being satisfied sexually. However, when these women were surveyed on how their choice on contraception (whether it was a hormonal method or condoms) affected their enjoyment of sex, those women who utilized condoms (alone or combined with alternate forms of contraception) seemed to feel that they made the sexual encounter less pleasurable. Women who simply used hormonal birth control did not feel that this type of contraception took away from their sexual enjoyment.
Those researchers who involved themselves with this study did so largely in part because the link between the contraception a woman chooses and her sexual enjoyment and satisfaction is an area that has not been studied thoroughly. Stephanie Sanders, one of the co-authors of the study, states, “The public health community has paid little attention to women's sexual experiences with contraceptive methods, especially condoms. If women think condoms detract from sexual pleasure, they may be less inclined to use them consistently." The study determined that of those women who used only a hormonal type of birth control, 4% of them felt that it decreased their sexual pleasure; these women were also the ones who felt the least sexually satisfied of the bunch. Of those women who utilized both condoms and a hormonal type of birth control, 23% of them felt it decreased their sexual pleasure; however, these women felt the most sexually satisfied of all the respondents.