Relationships & Sexual Health:

“Safe Sex”

The word safe, according to Webster's dictionary, means "uninjured, out of danger; not involving risk; trustworthy." Let me ask you some questions about being safe and you can decide what safe means to you.

If you were on a plane and the pilot got on the intercom and told you that there was a 15% chance the plane would not make its destination and have a fatal crash, would you get off that plane? What if the pilot said there was a 50% chance that the plane might crash, but you would live, you may just have some permanent injuries and damage. Would you get off then? Would it be worth the risk?

Condoms only protect against HIV/AIDS 85% ¹ of the time, which means you have a 15% chance of contracting it while using a condom. Would you say that's safe? And guess what? 50% of people who are sexually active between the ages of 15 and 24 have an STD ². By definition of the word safe, using condoms to protect yourself if you're having sex outside of marriage isn't safe.

By the way, condoms offer virtually no protection against HPV (genital warts) and herpes (1 in 5 people over the age of 12 have herpes). ³

The only "safe sex" is abstinence - waiting for sex and other sexual activity until you are married. Abstinence, or having and practicing sexual integrity, is 100% safe and effective.

Works cited:

1. STD information. Retrieved from, http://www.worththewait.info/STD.htm

2. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health Volume 36, Number 1, January/February 2004

3. Seu, Andree. "In the Know: Sexually Transmitted Diseases are Proving to be Brutal Teachers." World 12 June 2004: 71

Relationships & Sexual Health:

“Safe Sex”

Works cited: 1. STD information. Retrieved from, http://www.worththewait.info/STD.htm 2. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health Volume 36, Number 1, January/February 2004 3. Seu, Andree. "In the Know: Sexually Transmitted Diseases are Proving to be Brutal Teachers." World 12 June 2004: 71