QUESTION: Can condoms be used for sex in the water (pools, showers, hot tubs)? Latex Condoms 101 Most condoms are made of latex and, while latex is quite stretchy and relatively strong (it rarely breaks during vaginal or anal intercourse), some things weaken latex. For example, you shouldn’t use petroleum (think Vaseline) or oil-based products […]

QUESTION: My girlfriend says that I sometimes try to have sex with her in the middle of the night or that she will wake up to find me masturbating kind of aggressively. At first I thought she was joking (I can’t remember any of it), but it’s happened enough now—and she’s serious enough—that I believe […]

QUESTION: My girlfriend just informed me that she had HPV but was treated. We’ve engaged in vaginal intercourse but I’ve worn a condom every time. However, I’ve performed oral sex on her several times over the last three months. What is my risk of contracting HPV from oral sex? Thanks for your question. First, I’m […]

QUESTION: Is cunnilingus an unsafe practice? What are the risks of STIs with cunnilingus for both partners, given that body fluids are exchanged during it? Oral sex does involve the exchange of bodily fluids, whether we’re talking about cunnilingus (which is oral sex performed on a woman) or fellatio (which is oral sex performed on […]

QUESTION: My most recent pap smear came back abnormal. I had a colposcopy and my doctor said that it looked like I had only mild cervical changes. He checked for warts but did not find any. Can I still have sex with my boyfriend (vaginal and oral)? What safer sex practices should we use, and […]

QUESTION: I’ve recently been dating this guy whom I like a lot. We had sex over the weekend and now my vagina is itching and puffy. I don’t have any pain when I pee or anything but don’t understand why I am itching. Before this weekend it had been about 2 years since I had […]

QUESTION: I had a yearly exam in January, then started getting bikini waxes. I noticed some strange things going on down south so I got another exam in June. After the exam, the doctor called to tell me that I had chlamydia and to warn me about having unprotected sex. I only had protected sex […]

QUESTION: I’m a gay man and I’m in a long term monogamous relationship. We frequently engage in anal intercourse. We always use sufficient lubrication and my boyfriend never experiences pain during sex. But, is there any danger of damaging his anus over the long term and causing him health issues? Even though millions of people […]