The Power of Communication in Safer Sex Practices
Communication is an underrated sex tip as well as an under-utilized safer sex practice.
You might be asking, “How does communicating lead to safer sex?” Communicating about our sexual health histories and/or STI status provides a level of transparency among partners.
It’s at this place where someone might say, “Hey, I have herpes and this is how we can navigate it together to reduce the odds of transmission.” Or, “I’ve never had a herpes test and, to my knowledge, haven’t had a symptomatic outbreak—but again, I’ve never been tested so I want to be up front about that.”
Maybe it’s more words, or maybe it’s less. But most folks never received the tools to actively and openly discuss safer sex with their partners. What I often hear most from students (and even friends) is that one partner just says “I’m on the pill” or another partner simply takes out a condom without discussion.
Barriers and birth control are not 100% effective. While communication isn’t 100% either, it does lead to more informed decisions and better knowledge of how to use tools (like birth control, barriers, antivirals, etc.) to have safer sex.