Column:
Safe sex is hot sex
Published Sept. 18, 2009
What was your sex education class like? For me, and for many other people, it barely existed. We were shown charts of genitalia and pictures of horrific STDs, but were told nothing about how to prevent pregnancy or what a healthy sexual relationship looks like. Nothing about homosexuality and there was certainly no mention of condoms. Eight years of abstinence-only education seems to be getting fixed by the new political administration, but a lot of the damage is already done.
It amazes me the fiction my peers take as fact about sex and sexuality. For sexual beings, a lot of college students seem to have been fed a lot of mythology about their own bodies. I am here to dispel those myths many might have heard on the Internet, from your friends or even your parents. Having sex without knowing what's going on is like running into a lane of moving traffic with a blindfold on. We all deserve a safe, healthy sex life that isn't clouded by misinformation.
First off, I want to address the big, fat myth that has plagued our society since the beginning of time: Men need and/or want sex more than women do. False. This is not only harmful to a woman's sexual desire but it gives men an excuse to be pigs about sex. Don't take the excuse that "he's just built that way."
Women are just as sexual as men; they are just taught it's not lady-like or becoming of them to be sexually dominant. So, if you want to, go right ahead. I promise, you aren't some freak sexual deviant. Keep in mind our sexual idioms are learned, not natural. In a perfect world, we would throw all our socialized sexual behaviors out the window and people could have awesome, consensual sex that isn't bound by our cultural tie-ups.
On to more technical jargon and some very important information to know if you are sexually active. Yes, women can get pregnant on their periods. Women can get pregnant if on top. Women can get pregnant in any position you can dream up. The withdrawal method doesn't work, because men have pre-ejaculate that contains sperm. Only one little swimmer is needed to penetrate the egg and one ejaculation contains millions. Don't take your chances.
If you choose to be sexually active and do not want to become pregnant, condoms are the cheapest bet. Condoms do break, but nothing is foolproof except abstinence. I suggest you use condoms lubricated with water-based lube to decrease the chance of breakage. Spermicidal lube is great for added protection if the sperm does spill. Condoms have about an 87 percent effectiveness rate, which is OK, but not nearly as successful as birth control.
The pill, the patch and the ring are about 99 percent effective, which I feel safer relying on. I will always endorse using a condom and hormonal birth control as the safest way to get it on. There is a male birth control pill in the works, which is wonderful because I believe both partners should take responsibility for their sexy time activities.
Not to sound lame, but safe sex really is hot sex. If you think condoms "wreck the mood" imagine how much a baby and/or gonorrhea will ruin your fun.