How to Practice Safe Casual Sex – Hookup and HIV
Sex is a thing that humans love doing and it’s safe to say that it’s a vital part of their lives and relations. With the rise of online hookup apps like Kasual, casual sex has become a common thing.
Well, there are certain problems with having casual sex, especially if you’re very active. Having numerous partners and one night stands may be good for your ego and libido but your health might be at stake here.
With so many sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV, people who are into casual sex need to be on the lookout now more than ever. That means that people need to be ready to handle stressful sexual health situations that are simply inevitable when it comes to casual sex and changing sexual partners so often.
Therefore, the only thing important here is how to practice safe casual sex and remain safe and healthy in all situations and at all times. With increased rates of HIV lurking around the corner, what was supposed to be a pleasure can turn into a serious health condition.
1. Be Responsible
While there are people who don’t give much thought to safe sex and wearing condoms, being responsible and focusing on safe sex will ensure that you never cross paths with STDs. No matter what the situation is, no matter how horny you and your casual partner are, being responsible and paying attention to safety is of utmost importance.
Even if your causal partner insists on doing it right now without any form of protection, stay on your course and say no to unsafe sex. There is one thing about HIV: once you get it, you can pass it on to others. Knowing that you intentionally endangered someone’s life is not a thing you want to live with.
To be responsible when having casual sex and avoid sexually transmitted diseases and infections means to do your research about all types of STDs and STIs. You can also take some extra precaution and ask your casual partners for HIV and other STIs test results before you get down to action, just to make sure.
2. Wear Protection
There are only three ways to protect yourself from HIV and other STDs and those are female condoms, condoms, and abstinence. Condoms are also known as barrier protection because they present a physical barrier between your fluids and the parts and fluids of your casual partner.
Just wearing a condom isn’t gonna cut it so you have to know how to wear a condom perfectly because that’s the only way to make sure that it’ll be fully effective. With all this in mind, condoms are only 98 percent effective even if you use them properly and sex is unfortunately never risk-free.
Still, wearing a condom all the time while you’re having casual sex with hookups is what will keep you safe in 98 percent of situations, while it only takes one time to have unsafe sex and get infected with an STD. So, the odds are in your favor if you constantly wear protection.
3. The Additional Measures of Precaution
Having casual sex is exciting, each date is like a whole new adventure and a nice experience afterward so let’s keep it that way. To make sure that you continue to do something that pleases you so much, taking some additional measures of precaution sounds like a very good idea. With that in mind, there are two things that you can do: taking pre-exposure prophylaxis pills and setting up a regular testing schedule.
PrEP is a daily pill that greatly minimizes the risk of getting HIV and it’s a thing that people who are greatly into casual sex tend to practice along with wearing protection, of course. If taken every day, a PrEP called Truvada has been proven to lower the chances of getting HIV positive by 90 percent.
On the other hand, getting tested regularly is also a good way to make sure that you’re doing fine. Sleeping with multiple people might have you worried about getting STIs or STDs but a test will calm all your nagging doubts.
So, the most recommended thing to do is to get tested every three to six months. You’ll feel better if you know that you’re healthy and the quality of your casual dates and hookups will improve.
4. Always Have Supplies
Having everything you need for sudden casual encounters is a good idea. That way, nothing can catch you by surprise. There are countless cases of people getting infected by HIV just because they were caught by surprise, having casual sex with a stranger on a whim.
You need to avoid these kinds of situations so always keep your pills and condoms with you. You’ll always be prepared for whatever may come. Keep them well stored and in a place where they will be safe.
5. Talk with Your Causal Partner about HIV and STDs
One of the most effective ways to avoid taking any risks with hookups is by starting a conversation about HIV and STDs as well as STIs. Asking your partner to present negative tests on any STDs and STIs is the best way to make sure that you’re completely safe. If your casual partners find it uncomfortable to talk about this, if they’re avoiding showing you the test results, you shouldn’t get involved with such people.
On the other hand, if they present the results and they turn out to be negative, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be responsible and wear protection. If you come across an HIV-positive person, it’s best not to have sexual intercourse with them simply because wearing a condom won’t guarantee that you won’t get infected so think twice before you act.
