I'm just posting for the first time, but I've been a long-time reader of Scarleteen. I'm 19, and I've been feeling for about a year now that I'm ready to have my first sexual experience. I've been in a few relationships before, but sex was just never a part of it. I've known since I was about 11 that I'm not straight, though I've floundered between a few labels over the years, ending up with Panromantic Gray-Asexual. I also think I might be nonbinary, but I'm still figuring that part out for myself.
So I have a friend who I met online who lives an hour away. We've met up in person a few times now, and we've been talking daily for about 6 months. We really understand each other, and we "speak each other's language", you might say. Recently, we were talking, and I confided in him that I've been wanting to lose my virginity (we both recognize that virginity is a social construct and all that) but I have no avenue to do so through. Dating apps and sites didn't go anywhere, and I don't know how much I trust a near-stranger to be clean and understanding. Long story short, the idea of my friend and I having sex came up - just a casual thing. We'll be hanging out next weekend and we'll probably do it then, and we both made it clear that we can back out at any time.
He's a lot more experienced than me, and he's also trans (pre-op and taking hormones) which isn't a problem. What I am worried about is how to make sure we're safe from STIs and all that. He got herpes from a hook-up about a month ago, but his doctor gave him an anti-viral medicine and claimed it reduces the chance of transmitting it down to less than 1% with regular use. Should we still use stuff like dental dams? Where would I even get those? I'm so lost, and I don't want to assume anything about how he feels as a transman, like if receiving oral sex with a dental dam in place might make him feel dysphoric or not. I'm planning on discussing details like that with him before the time comes, but I wanted to see if anyone here had any ideas. Any help is appreciated, and thank you in advance!
Wondering about safe sex?
-
- newbie
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2016 2:27 am
- Age: 27
- Awesomeness Quotient: My love for everyone!
- Primary language: English
- Pronouns: she/her
- Sexual identity: Panromantic Gray-Asexual
- Location: California
-
- previous staff/volunteer
- Posts: 10320
- Joined: Mon Jul 28, 2014 9:06 am
- Age: 33
- Awesomeness Quotient: I raise carnivorous plants
- Primary language: english
- Pronouns: she/her
- Sexual identity: queer
- Location: Coast
Re: Wondering about safe sex?
Hi alibear,
Glad to hear you and he are really communicating about things like your STI status and your needs, that's a great precedent to set.
As for staying safe, you'll absolutely want to use a dental dam or other safer sex materials if you're concerned about STI transmission. You can read about those here: All the Barriers! All the Time!
Since he has herpes, you'll also want to give this article a read so that you two can minimize the risks of sex as much as possible: HPV & Herpes: Why Safer Sex Isn't Always Safe Enough
Glad to hear you and he are really communicating about things like your STI status and your needs, that's a great precedent to set.
As for staying safe, you'll absolutely want to use a dental dam or other safer sex materials if you're concerned about STI transmission. You can read about those here: All the Barriers! All the Time!
Since he has herpes, you'll also want to give this article a read so that you two can minimize the risks of sex as much as possible: HPV & Herpes: Why Safer Sex Isn't Always Safe Enough
And you to whom adversity has dealt the final blow/with smiling bastards lying to you everywhere you go/turn to and put out all your strength of arm and heart and brain/and like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again.
-
- Similar Topics
- Replies
- Views
- Last post
-
-
New post Wondering where to put a sensitive question
by Asking Queries » Wed May 29, 2024 6:56 pm » in Ask Us! - 2 Replies
- 1672 Views
-
Last post by Asking Queries
Wed May 29, 2024 7:26 pm
-
-
-
New post Is this a safe lube alternative?
by CuriousBee » Sun Oct 06, 2024 5:52 pm » in Got Questions? Get Answers. - 2 Replies
- 1924 Views
-
Last post by Heather
Mon Oct 07, 2024 8:38 am
-
-
- 1 Replies
- 9286 Views
-
Last post by Latha
Sun Jan 21, 2024 4:03 am
-
-
New post are baby wipes safe to clean a toy with?
by axolotlperson » Thu Aug 29, 2024 4:51 pm » in Sexual Health - 1 Replies
- 3420 Views
-
Last post by Latha
Fri Aug 30, 2024 3:20 am
-