Latex offers the greatest amount of protection against STIs

Just like when you go skiing with the best intentions and all your safety gear you can not guarantee you won’t break your ankle in the ski lodge. It is also not possible for anyone to have 100% safe sex. However there are many ways of reducing the risk of STI transmission in sex.

Latex barriers are the most effective way of reducing the chance of contracting an STI. This means using:

• condoms on sex toys (changing condoms between partners and if switching between orifices)
• dams on the genitals or the arse (in some circumstances) 
• gloves on hands (if swapping between orifices, partners, or if abrasions are present)

Risk reduction

There are ways of helping to reduce risk without using latex products:

• Having a regular STI check
• Not having sex when your immune system is compromised (e.g. when you have a cold)
• Ensuring that you do not have any cuts or abrasions on your mouth, hands, genitals or arse
• Keeping items for penetration (including hands) clean
• Having short finger nails to avoid scratching during penetration or external genital stimulation
• Finding out your partner's sexual health history and offering yours
• Making sure that DIY sex toys are safe by ensuring they are not brittle, do not have sharp edges and are able to be cleaned easily and often

Keep your toys clean

To prevent STIs being transmitted from one partner to another on sex toys you can:

• Have your own toys
• Wash toys with warm soapy water
• Dry toys between partners
• Use condoms on toys, changing the condom after use with each partner and if switching between orifices

There's emerging evidence that hepatitis C is being passed on during group sex when infected blood is present on hands or toys that are inserted in one arse then another without being washed.

More info

Contact: ACON’s Lesbian and Same-Sex Attracted Women’s Health Project

Tel: (02) 9206 2000
Free Call: 1800 063 060
Hearing Impaired: (02) 9283 2088

Email: women@acon.org.au

Web: See girl2girl.info for more information on STI’s and STI testing