Taking Sides on the Safe Sex Debate

The debate about safe sex continues to wage on.  In fact, after reading a recent news blurb, I have found that even sexual health experts don’t agree about what can be defined as safe sex.  This debate is largely based on the idea that condoms are not 100% effective against guarding against the spread of STDs.

I don’t think that anyone is surprised to find out that condoms are not 100% effective against disease.  After all, there are very few absolute guarantees in life.  Obviously, the only way you can be certain to avoid disease is to abstain from sex, but this is an unrealistic expectation for most people.  In this case, safe sex practices involving the use of condoms are the next best choice.

Family Health International, which is an international organization that promotes prevention, treatment and research of health issues agrees.  In fact, their official stance is “For people who are sexually active, condoms remain our best solution to reducing risks of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (if uninfected) or transmitting these infections (if infected).”

So, why are safe sex practices still a subject of such debate?  Basically, research has produced some inconsistent evidence.  While research has shown that safe sex practices involving condoms does effectively prevent the passage of sexually transmitted pathogens, the jury is still out when it comes to whether or not promoting safe sex really is effective at preventing the spread of disease.

It is undeniable that STDs are still a major concern throughout the world.  In addition, countries that freely promote safe sex practices are still battling against the spread of disease.  Research has shown, however, that promoting the use of condoms and other safe sex practices does not encourage people to not cause people to engage in risky sexual behavior.  This research directly contradicts the stance of those that are against educating people about safe sex practices, as these zealots feel that discussing safe sex gives people a false sense of security that leads to riskier sexual behaviors.

The reality is that using condoms appropriately does reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases.  At the same time, when choosing a sex partner, you need to keep in mind that some parts of your bodies will still come in contact even with the use of condoms.  Therefore, there is still the possibility of transmitting some diseases even with the use of condoms.

The bottom line is that there really is no such thing as 100% safe sex, just like you can’t be 100% certain you won’t get injured in a car accident or that you won’t get hurt when you participate in sports.  No matter how much protection you use, there is always a chance that something can go awry.  Nonetheless, condoms are still a far safer alternative than using no protection at all.  Therefore, here at CondomMan, we are huge believers in promoting safe sex practices and helping people better understand how to keep themselves safe. While this does involve being careful about who you have sex with, it also involves utilizing condoms to provide an extra barrier of protection.