How do you get them to....
Teachers, health people, parents and peers are always dropping the same, sound safe sex advice: Be monogamous, wait for sex if you can, limit your partners, wear a condom and get tested. This is all great advice, but they never tell you HOW to negotiate all these rules and requests!
First things first: Monogamy and waiting for sex. The general sentiment of our society is that you should wait for sex and if you have it, it should be in a relationship where you and your partner are exclusive. That’s what the sentiment is, but TV, music and every other facet of culture emphasizes free love, making it hard to find that balance between waiting for sex and jumping in.
BOYFRIEND? GIRLFRIEND? OR JUST FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS? ?
Things have changed since our grandparents' days of meeting at the ice cream social and going steady. Today you might meet a potential boo at school, the pet store, the bar or on Facebook. You go out, you text, you talk, you kiss, then you do the deed (whatever the deed is). Then it’s time for “the talk”. Where are we going? What are we doing? Are we boyfriend and boyfriend? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Girlfriend and girlfriend? Or just friends with benefits? If it’s the last one, we’ve got a modern day Friends with Benefits(FWB) navigation guide just for you! First things first. Make sure that you want to be someone’s friend with benefits. If you don’t want to commit and just want to experiment, this could be the situation for you; however, you have to be prepared for the risks. You risk your reputation, your feelings and your sexual health.
House Party in Your Pants
Ah, house parties and clubs. A hub of social gatherings. A place to connect with potential crushes and hook ups. Also a place for bad decisions and getting totally f*ed up. There’s a certain etiquette when it comes to making the most out of house parties and clubs. Hooking up and what not is fine and expected - just make sure you don’t drink or smoke too much and try and keep your sexual wits about. More often than not, when you’re drinking (or other things), and one thing leads to another that’s when things tend to go wrong. First and foremost, try to avoid drinking and smoking too much or endure the consequences of making a massive ass out of yourself in front of a potential crush or hook up (and we don’t want that). Think we’re lying?
Am I Normal?
Everyone, at some point or another, wonders if they’re normal, especially when it comes to sex. You see other people on campus or in the gym and can't help but compare. Sometimes size is an issue, other times it’s the object of your lust. 
Constantly wondering about your anatomy and if you're a freak or not can take a lot of energy and can suck some of the fun out of (your sex) life. The good thing is, no matter how much of a freak you are, there's someone else out there who’s bound to love it. So how do you know what's normal? Is there even a baseline for comparison? The crappy part is there is no real right or wrong answer to those everyday questions that plague us. The good side is, the more educated you become about your body, how it functions and your sexual identity you can squash any questions or doubts about what's in your pants. Let’s compare the law of averages where it matters: in (and around) your pants. Size matters, or so they say.
Sex and Justice!?!
Everyday, decisions about your sexual health rights are made without your consent. People who aren't connected to youth culture, who claim morality but don't adhere to their own laws, are deciding what you can and can't do, what information you can access and what happens to you after you’re f*d (literally). How does it feel to be a young person living with the highest rates of unplanned pregnancy and disease transmission when you don't have to be? It doesn't matter if you're conservative or liberal - knowing that these issues could be avoided by the simple sharing of information sucks. When you Google "sexual health", you see a lot of recurring terms: Reproduction, identity, pregnancy, condoms, body image, healthy vs. unhealthy and lots more.
TO TEST OR NOT TO TEST? BASIC MYTHS REVERSED.
There are many reasons we aren’t getting our routine STD and HIV tests. Myths and misinformation are a huge factor. And, for most people under 25, getting tested every six months just isn’t a priority. Even if it is, lots of people don’t know where to go or how to access services. And some people are understandably scared of their test results and anyone else finding them out.
We’re going to try and talk you through some of these obstacles in hopes of elevating routine STD and HIV tests to be part of your essential bodily maintenance, like haircuts and manicures. Let's start by discussing what’s in your way and how you can overcome!
inSPOT has a fantastic STD and HIV chart showing curable and treatable infections. Click on the name of each STD to find out prevention, testing and treatment facts about both types.
Guys Only: Birth Control
If it takes two people (at least) to have sex, why does the birth control responsibility always fall on one person’s shoulders? Even though only girls produce the babies, you sexually active guys need to be supportive in terms of birth control choices. Being in the know about birth control will make your sex life better, big time. Just think, your partner might be more sexually open once she knows that her guy is involved in making sure accidents don’t happen!
So how does a guy support his girl’s birth control adventures? One way to share the birth control responsibilities by using TWO methods! Guys, think of condoms as YOUR birth control contribution and always have them handy. Even if your girl says she’s got a reliable birth control method, let her know that you have her back with condoms, just in case.
Condoms, Cuz We Say So!
They say that guys are always on the hunt for sex. But we gotta ask: Does the hunt always include protection and contraception? If sex is on the brain, then condoms should be as well. Condoms not only protect against most STDs and HIV, but prevent unplanned pregnancies.
People come up with all kinds of excuses for not wearing them: They can’t feel anything; they’re too expensive; they’re too small. All of those excuses are just that, excuses! If you are sexually active, no sex without latex can be your theme.
If your partner disses condoms because they think they’re not effective, drop some stats on their ass. If someone starts talking madness about comfort or size being the reason they can’t wear one, suggest a different brand. Here's a Consumer Reports article on 7 Perfect Condoms.
