The following lifestyle scenarios are important to keep in mind while being sexually active. These choices can often make your sex life more or less dangerous, depending on whether or not you choose to engage in them.
Multiple Partners:
Having sex with multiple people at one time (a threesome) or having multiple, consistent partners at the same time can increase your chances of getting an STI. This is due to the fact that you are exposing yourself to more people and their sexual history. Often if you are not in an exclusive relationship and are sleeping with multiple people, those people are also sleeping with multiple people. This extends your risk of exposure to an STI because your health is affected by all the people your partners are having sex with.
Drugs and Alcohol:
While under the influence of drugs and alcohol, our judgement and decision making is often impaired. This can lead to having sex with people you otherwise wouldn’t have sex with, having casual sex, not using condoms, not practicing safe sex and engaging in sexual activities that you wouldn’t take part in if sober. Unfortunately, date rape and acquaintance rape is more common when one is intoxicated. Additionally, sharing drug needles can increase chances of HIV and sharing paraphernalia such as bottles of alcohol or smoking can spread things such as oral herpes.
Denial or Secrecy:
Those who are afraid to admit they are having sex, shame their sexual activities, and don’t openly tell their family and friends that they are sexually active can lead to unhealthy sexual practices. This often happens when someone is raised in a sexually repressed society or family or when someone is dating an individual whose race, age, sexual orientation, and many other potential factors, are seen as unacceptable. This can lead to being irresponsible sexually and not understanding and practicing safe sex. It is important to be honest with those around you about what you are doing. Getting a gynecologist, getting tested regularly, going on birth control, using condoms, and many other factors of a healthy sex life can only be done if someone feels comfortable taking about and learning about sex. Accepting that you are sexually active and talking to the right people (your doctor, parent, guardian, etc.) will lead to more responsible sex.
Poverty and Poor Health:
STIs are often common in areas where poverty is present. Having safe sex can be expensive. Healthcare, safe sex tools, birth control, and many other resources all cost money. When these things are not affordable to individuals in a community, infections and diseases from sex are often very prevalent. Additionally, having a bad body image, being malnourished, stressed, being worn out, or being in general poor health can increase your risk of infection. When you don’t practice self respect, you often don’t make choices that are healthy and positive.
Work Cited
Corinna, Heather. S.E.X.: The All-you-need-to-know Progressive Sexuality Guide to Get You through High School and College. New York: Marlowe, 2007. Print.