OutUK's six week series on Sexual Health for gay men continues. It's brought to you in association with the NHS. We will have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. For this second week you can find out about the risks of getting a sexually transmitted infection (STI) from different sexual activities. In nearly every case, condoms will help protect you against this risk. Learn about the risks associated with various sexual activities. Anal penetrative sexThis is when a man's penis enters (penetrates) his partner's anus. Men can choose to have anal sex whether they're gay or straight. Anal sex has a higher risk of spreading STIs than many other types of sexual activity. This is because the lining of the anus is thin and can easily be damaged, which makes it more vulnerable to infection. STIs and other infections that can be passed on during anal sex include: Using stronger condoms designed for anal sex helps protect against STIs. If you use lubricants, only use water-based ones, which are available from pharmacies. Oil-based lubricants such as lotion and moisturiser can cause condoms to break or fail. Get tips on using condoms properly.
Oral sexOral sex involves sucking or licking the penis or anus.There's a risk of getting or passing on STIs if you're giving or receiving oral sex. The risk increases if either of you has sores or cuts around the mouth, genitals or anus. Avoid brushing your teeth or using dental floss before oral sex because it can cause your gums to bleed. Viruses and bacteria, which may be present in semen or blood, can travel more easily into a partner's body through breaks in the skin. Generally, the risk of infection is lower when you receive oral sex than when you give someone oral sex. However, it is still possible for STIs to be passed on. STIs and other infections that can be passed on through oral sex include:
If you have a cold sore and you give your partner oral sex, you can infect them with the herpes virus. Similarly, herpes can pass from the genitals to the mouth. The risk of passing on or getting HIV during oral sex is lower than anal sex without a condom. However, the risk is increased if there are any cuts or sores in or around the mouth, genitals or anus. You can make oral sex safer by using a condom as it acts as a barrier between the mouth and the penis. Choose a condom that does not contain spermicide, because spermicide can increase the risk of passing on HIV. Also, make sure it has the CE mark or BSI kite mark, which means the condom meets high safety standards.
FingeringThis is when someone inserts one or more fingers into their partner's anus. It's not common for fingering to spread STIs, but there are still risks.If there are any cuts or sores on the fingers, no matter how small, the risk of passing on or getting an STI increases. Fingering can also spread small amounts of poo which can cause the STI shigella. Washing your hands after fingering can reduce the change of this. Some people gradually insert the whole hand into a partner's anus; this is called fisting. Not everyone chooses to do this. Again, the risk of infection is higher if either person has any cuts or broken skin that comes into contact with their partner. You can lower the risk by wearing surgical gloves.
Sex toysThis covers a wide range of items, including vibrators and sex dolls. Any object used in sex can be called a sex toy, whether it's designed for this use or not.It's important to keep sex toys clean. If you're sharing sex toys, make sure you wash them between each use and always put a new condom on them each time. Sharing sex toys has risks, including getting and passing on STIs such as chlamydia, syphilis and herpes. If there are any cuts or sores around the vagina, anus or penis and there's blood, there's an increased risk of passing on hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV. Urine and faecesSome people choose to urinate (pee) on a partner as part of their sex life. There's a risk of passing on an infection if the person who's being urinated on has broken skin.Faeces (poo) carries more of a risk. This is because it contains organisms that can cause illness or infection, for example shigella. This is a bacterial infection of the intestine that causes severe diarrhoea and is often mistaken for food poisoning. It can be caught during oral-anal sex and giving oral sex after anal sex when even a tiny amount of infected poo can get into the mouth and cause infection. Although faeces don't usually contain HIV (unless they contain blood infected with HIV), they can contain the hepatitis A virus. There's a chance of infection when faeces come into contact with broken skin, the mouth or the eyes.
CuttingSome people choose to cut their own skin or their partner's skin as part of sex. This is also called piquerism. There's a risk of infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C being passed from person to person through broken skin.No sexual contact is needed. Simply getting blood on a partner is enough to transmit these infections. To lower the chances of infection, cutting and piercing equipment should be sterilised and not shared. OutSpoken Sexual HealthThroughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The other topics covered in this series include: |
| This item was in brought to you association with NHS website. Follow the links above for more information and don't forget to check out OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health which features items on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. This week our topic is: S - Shingles. |
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