"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.
References
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
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