| | Safe Sex and Preventive Health One of the best preventive health measures you can take is to practice safe sex. Safe sex can save your life. Without medical testing, it is virtually impossible to know if someone has a sexually transmitted disease. Individuals can have a sexually transmitted disease, even though symptoms are not present. Many individuals that do have a sexually transmitted disease may not even be aware they have one, or that they are passing it onto their sexual partner. If you want to lessen your chances of acquiring a STD, you should practice safe sex. Abstinence is the only way you can protect yourself from acquiring a sexually transmitted disease. Individuals who do engage in sex should limit their sex partners. Each time you have sex with someone, you are exposing yourself to a disease they could be carrying, as well as diseases their previous partners may have. Before engaging in sex with anyone, ask questions about their sexual history. You should know as much about the individual’s sexual history as possible. You should ask him or her if they have ever had a STD, and if so was it treated and cured. If the STD is incurable, you should educate yourself on how to protect your body if you still choose to engage in sex with the individual. Besides STDs, you should ask a potential partner if they have any blood disease, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or HIV. You should also know if they have any behaviors which would make them a candidate for a blood disease. These behaviors could include IV drug use, homosexual sex, or prostitution. If you are entering into a sexual relationship, request that both you and your partner be tested for STDs and HIV. Use condoms until the test results come back negative, even if you use other forms of birth control, such as the Pill or diaphragm. Male and female condoms are available. However, you should know that some condoms do not protect against STDs. Latex and polyurethane condoms should be chosen, as they do protect against STDs. If you are with a partner who does not respect your wishes about practicing safe sex, you may want to question whether they have your best interests at heart.
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