Safe Sex: Tips they Probably Don't Teach in School

1) Two condoms are not better than one. In fact, doubling up increases the risk of condom failure, because the condoms rub against each other, causing friction, a leading cause of condom breakage.

2) Certain medicines, such as antibiotics and antiseizure medicines, make birth control pills less effective.

3) Lubrication is a must! Not only does it make sex more enjoyable, it also reduces friction, thus reducing the risk of condom breakage. However, if you do use lubricant with a condom, make sure it's water-soluble.

4) Don't have sex underwater. Chemicals in the water - such as chlorine and bubble bath - can cause condoms to deteriorate. If water gets pushed too far into a woman's body, it can cause an infection, especially if there are other irritating chemicals in it. Water can also get under a condom and cause it to slide off.

5) Certain products, such as soap, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, massage oil, and lubricants that are not water-soluble can cause condoms to deteriorate and break.

6) Certain chemicals used in lubricants and condoms are bad for a woman's vagina. Spermicides can cause irritation, and glycerine encourages yeast infections.

7) Yeast infections can be spread through sexual activity.

8) Genital HPV can be transmitted through oral sex, and can be dangerous if it gets in the lungs. It doesn't just cause cervical cancer, it can cause oral, throat, and lung cancer as well, though it's very rare.

9) It is possible to get pregnant without having vaginal intercourse. As long as sperm gets in the vagina, it can cause pregnancy. This can happen if a guy fingers his partner with sperm on his hands, or if a girl fingers herself after getting sperm on her own hands. It can also happen through dry humping. Remember, precum does contain sperm cells, and it only takes one sperm cell to fertilize an egg.

10) The best protection against STDs is actually a female condom. Why? Because it covers the area surrounding a woman's vagina, an area male condoms don't cover.