Is safer sex realistic?
Let’s look at some facts about condoms. Condoms are supposed to prevent pregnancy by putting a rubber barrier between your skin and the sperm. However, sometimes the rubber falls off or breaks. Because of this, the failure rate for pregnancy is so high that if you have sex twice a week, about once a month the condom might fail. Back to top 16. Do condoms prevent the spread of AIDS? The failure rate for AIDS/HIV transmission is even higher than pregnancy rate because of a naturally occuring defect in the latex rubber used to make most condoms. In the 1800’s, an English doctor discovered that the rubber barrier also gave some protection against STDs. However, all the STDs known at the time were caused by bacteria, not viruses. This may not seem like a problem, but actually it is: viruses are much smaller than bacteria. Rubber is a natural product, and it naturally has microscopic holes or pores in it. These holes are smaller than bacteria or sperm, so bacteria and sperm don’t go through
Let’s look at some facts about condoms. Condoms are supposed to prevent pregnancy by putting a rubber barrier between your skin and the sperm. However, sometimes the rubber falls off or breaks. Because of this, the failure rate for pregnancy is so high that if you have sex twice a week, about once a month the condom might fail. Back to top 16. Do condoms prevent the spread of AIDS? According to the Centers for Disease Control, rubber condoms can be highly effective in preventing the sexual transmission of HIV when used consistently and correctly. However, inconsistent use can lead to STD acquisition because transmission can occur with a single act of intercourse with an infected partner. The most reliable way to avoid transmission of HIV is to abstain from sexual activity or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner. Back to top 17. Is sexual activity safe if it doesn’t include intercourse? Because of the problems with condoms, some people recomme
