I hear people say that condoms are only like 70% effective in protecting people from STDs, so what other protection is necessary to ensure almost 100% safety while having sex?
2007-02-17 07:05:22 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ STDs
Technically, abstinence.
However, realistically condoms help alot when used properly. Anecdotally, people who always use condoms just don't get STDs. Theoretically however there's still a risk of catching things, especially HPV and herpes because they're caught through skin-to-skin contact.
To further reduce your risk, you can get tested for all STDs at a clinic by getting urine and blood tests, except for herpes and HPV.
Herpes you can order a special test for called "serotyping" that will tell you if you have type I and if you have type II in your body. Make sure you get the test that will tell what types of herpes, NOT the one that just tells if you have any herpes or not because most people have oral but not genital and will test positive. Type I is oral herpes (cold sores) which about 80% of people have, but type II usually means you have genital herpes and can transmit it even without symptoms. Taking this test costs a couple hundred dollars but you can find out if one of you has herpes. If you both have the same herpes results (ie if you both have it or both don't have it), you don't have to worry about spreading it to eachother.
HPV only women can get tested for, and tests available to the public can't differentiate between strains that are harmless (about 80% of sexually active people or more have some sort of HPV) and strains that cause warts or cancer, which may exist in you or your partner without symptoms.
However, there is now a vaccine out that prevents the strains of HPV that cause 70% of cancer and 90% of warts, only available to women right now but if the woman in the relationship got it, it would at least greatly reduce HER risk of having that transmitted to her. It will probably be available to men in the near future as well, it just hasn't been tested for men yet.
Also make sure you get vaccinated for hepatitis, though blood STD tests will tell you if you have it or not.
So in conclusion, with testing (if the tests are negative or the same for both of you!) and the HPV vaccine you can reduce your risk of catching STDs to being INCREDIBLY low, with only a small risk of the male catching HPV. Condoms would further decrease the risk.
You wouldn't be 100% safe exactly, but you could be probably 99.99% safe if all the above measures were taken.
2007-02-17 07:56:14 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I got identified with herpes simplex virus (type 2) about 5 years back, when I was still in college and had a stupid one-night stand. I understand loads of people say this, but I swear I had never done that sort of thing before. I just made a huge mistake that one time and all of a sudden it seemed like I was going to have to live with the implications for the rest of my life. The hardest part was feeling I could never date men again. After all, who wants to go out with a girl who has sores around her private parts? But since a friend shared this movie https://tr.im/OhA9R everything changed.
Not only was I able to remove all remnants of the herpes virus from my system in less than 21 days, but I was also able to begin dating again. I even met the guy of my dreams and I'm so blessed to write that just a week ago, in front of everyone in a busy restaurant, he got down on one knee and proposed to me!! This method provided the chance to be happy and experience real love again. Now I hope that I can help others too by sharing this story.
2015-09-27 19:25:39 · answer #2 · answered by Kayley 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes condoms are not 100%. There really is no 100%. People say dont have sex but you can still have something through your mother. No one is actully safe. Sorry. If you are going to have sex get tested so you know you are okay at the moment. Use condoms EVERYTIME and i mean finger condoms as well. If you are going to perform oral a man should still wear a condom *get a flavored one* and to perform on a women cut a condom in half and use it like a sheet and put it over her gentials and then perform. Always pee before and after sex. Wash body and genitals afterwards as well. Try to not get any body fluids on any parts of the body.
2007-02-17 14:59:17 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only abstinence. Solo sex too if your hands and or toys are clean. That's all. Everything else has failure rates. Your best bet is to double up on protection and always use a condom and some type of spermicide.
2007-02-17 07:13:48 · answer #4 · answered by sexmagnet 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you want 100% safety then don't have sex or get tested with your partner. Hope this helps
2007-02-17 07:12:19 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Masturbation. And 70% is VERY low for condom reliability. It's more around the range of 96-99%, if used correctly.
2007-02-17 08:32:02 · answer #6 · answered by enigma_frozen 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1
2017-03-02 09:11:39 · answer #7 · answered by Cheryl 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
dont have sex if you want a 100% guarantee. but if you plan on having sex then you and your partnet should go get tested for EVERYTHING. if your both clean and arnt going to wander sexually then go for it. Condom can help prevent sti's like clamydia,gonorhea,sphyillis,but not herpes, crabs, HPV.
2007-02-17 07:23:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only abstinence is 100% fool proof.
2007-02-17 07:32:54 · answer #9 · answered by sab 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
nothing is 100% but getting tested with your partner before you have sex is a good way to be safe.
2007-02-17 09:57:47 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋