anal sex Archive

Microbicide Study Ongoing, with Edits

Posted on October 3, 2011.

Ok, so we know that women are often at the vulnerable end of things when it comes to preventing STIs. If your partner’s a guy and he balks at condoms, you have a minimum of one safe sex talk ahead of you, if not more. Sure, female condoms are an option, but wouldn’t it be great if there were others that women could control?

Safer sex advice says “Use a Condom.” What if Your Partner Won’t?

Posted on August 15, 2011.

“I think you need to have something about how men don’t want to wear condoms,” said Carol. The “Use a condom” message is spouted by HIV prevention educators (including myself) the world over, but we know it’s not always reasonable advice. There are situations where women and men alike can’t use a condom.

Lube To Get a Harm Reduction Boost with Microbicide

Posted on March 14, 2011.

Readers here will know I sing the praises of lube. Lubes can go a long way in helping to make sex more comfortable. It can be fun, make things slide a little smoother, and decrease the risk of tearing vaginal or rectal tissue, a risk factor in getting STIs. Using it with condoms can [...]

STI Smarts and Compassion

Posted on February 28, 2011.

I was surprised to read about a recent survey in the U.K. that revealed 20% of the respondents didn’t know that HIV could be transmitted between men and women during unprotected sex (up from 9% ten years ago). Whaaat? It’s 2011, people. I’d hoped HIV awareness was further along than that. When it comes to [...]

How Do You Want to Deal With That Itch?

Posted on February 21, 2011.

During a meeting I was at last week, I got to talking with a colleague from another AIDS awareness organization about the challenges people can face in accessing testing for STIs. In this case, we were talking about men who have sex with men but don’t identify as gay/ bi or queer. Where would [...]

Are You Getting “Behind” in Your STI Information?

Posted on November 22, 2010.

Our friends over at About.com have embarked on a blog carnival (as blogger Cory Silverberg points out, everyone loves a carnival). Their topic? “Shame and Silence Surrounding Bowel Symptoms.”

Don’t Get Your Safe Sex Info at the Movies

Posted on August 9, 2010.

We talked about the sex scenes (no spoiler alert needed) after seeing The Kids are All Right, which we both liked and disliked for various reasons. Bronwyn and I work with HIV+ women, so we can’t help but discuss how sexuality is portrayed in movies, and what kind of safe sex messaging does and doesn’t play out. I think that anyone over fourteen can get cynical about messaging around sex when you watch movies, whether you work in the sex ed field or not.

Painful Sex? There’s Help for That

Posted on July 12, 2010.

Ah, summer. If warmer weather has you feeling frisky, and you’re considering a discreet romp in the sand, you may end up a little grainy in some unexpected places. Ideally, that’s the only discomfort you’re going to feel. Sex shouldn’t be painful, and if it is, there’s help for that. Does vaginal penetration hurt? [...]