Telling your sexual partners
Talking to your sexual partners about STIs can feel awkward and scary, but remember, STIs are a normal part of having a sex life. If we work on having open communication with partners about STIs, then together we’re reducing the stigma around STIs and keep our community safe.
If you are uncomfortable, there are online services that will let you anonymously text your sexual partners to let them know they may have been exposed to an STI and should book a sexual health test. Check out our Partner Notification section for more information!
What is safe sex?
Safe sex is more than just reducing the risk of STIs and unwanted pregnancies. Safe sex is pleasurable sex. Safe sex is consensual sex. Safe sex involves open communication and healthy relationships. Safe sex incorporates lots of different options for all kinds of people, parts, and practices.
As LGBTQ folks we have largely been excluded from sex education. This means there are more than a few myths and misconceptions circulating in our communities. Particularly as it relates women who have sex with women, non-binary and trans folks.
We’re here to sort fact from fiction and provide you with all the information you need to have safe, consensual, and pleasurable sex!
Safe sex terminology
We’re going to use medical terms like vulva, vagina, and penis, and some casual words like arse, butt, and dildo. Using medical terms for body parts helps us clearly explain sex practices and risks related to sexually transmitted infections (STIs) & blood borne viruses (BBVs). We don’t want to make assumptions about your body, gender, or sexuality, but we do want to make sure you’ve got the right information to make decisions about the sex you’re having.
It's important to flag that these words won’t fit everyone’s experiences. Our communities use a range of different terms to talk about our bodies, our parts, and our practices. Importantly, body parts and practices don’t have genders – people do.
Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)
One of the best ways to look after your sexual health is to get tested regularly. Most STIs are asymptomatic – that is, there are no symptoms despite having an STI. As such, you can’t rely on symptoms alone to tell if you have acquired an STI. Regular testing means you can catch and treat an STI early. It’s also a great way to take an STI ‘out of circulation’ by treating it before it’s passed on to someone else.
Different sexual acts carry different levels of risk for STI transmission. Some STIs, such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea spread through sharing bodily fluids. Using barriers such as condoms, gloves, or dams helps lower the risk up transmitting or acquiring an STI. Other STIs like herpes, HPV and syphilis can be transmitted through sexual contact, and eliminating the risk on an STI just isn’t possible. This is why we recommend regular sexual health testing!
To find where to book a sexual health test at your local sexual health clinic go here.
