A Guide to Sexually Transmitted Infections

Many people, including lesbian and bisexual women, don’t realize that sexually transmitted diseases can be spread through female on female sex. It is true that some sexually transmitted infections are far less prevalent among these groups, but the catch is that some others are much more common. Just as with heterosexual sex, the key to avoiding the spread of sexually transmitted infections is to practice good sexual health and to take some simple precautions.

AVOID BODILY FLUIDS

The golden rule for avoiding sexually transmitted diseases, and the only way of being certain that nothing will be passed on, is to avoid the exchanging of any bodily fluids. There are a number of precautions that you can take in order to achieve this. A dental dam will protect you from oral to vaginal or oral to anal contact. Even in long term partners with a clean bill of sexual health it is important to use a dental dam if you perform oral sex on a woman during her period. Avoid going down on your partner immediately after brushing your teeth as this can encourage bleeding around the gums. Similarly, make sure that if you use any mouthwash that it is free of salicylates (aspirin).

If you share toys with your partner then, as well as making sure that they are regularly washed, you should put a condom over them when they are used, and replace it with a fresh one if they are being used on another person. This will prevent fluids being spread indirectly.

A finger cot, or latex gloves, should be used if you have any sores or open wounds, even something as small as a paper cut, on your fingers.

A – Z OF COMMON STIS

Read the list via the Seattle Lesbian