| Condoms are an important part of safer sex, but safer sex means more than just using condoms. Safer sex is a relative term. It is anything you decide to do to lower the risk of becoming infected or infecting someone else, especially with dangerous infections, such as HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS. Here are some examples:
If you decide to have sexual intercourse, using a latex or female condom makes it safer.
If you decide to have oral sex instead of unprotected vaginal or anal intercourse, it is safer.
If you decide to have protected oral sex instead of unprotected oral sex, it is safer.
If you decide to rub against each other with your clothes off instead of having intercourse or oral sex, it is safer. Rubbing against each other with your clothes on is even safer.
If you decide to masturbate each other instead of rubbing against each other with your clothes off, it is safer.
If, after masturbating each other, you wash your hands before touching your own genitals, it is even safer.
If you decide to masturbate alone or have phone sex or cybersex instead of physical contact with someone else, it is even safer.
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