Safer Sex Chart

Stay up to date by visiting cdc.org and sfsi.org for supplemental information on toys and alt sex acts. Compiled by Violet Blue 1998-2010: tinynibbles.com, published as part of Open Source Sex Ed Digita, Digita Publications sex-positive e-books and audiobooks, digitapub.com.

It’s called “safer” sex because it’s not 100% safe — for birth control or sexually transmitted disease (infections, and viruses). But practicing safer sex means you make an “informed decision” — you know what you’re at risk for before you decide to take a risk, any risk, whether it’s to use a condom or go bare. Lots of us want to have unprotected sex. Just know the facts so you can make the best choice for yourself each time you engage in a sex act.

Before you put each other’s naughty bits in your mouths or even think about rubbing your bodies together, it’s a good idea to know where these bits have been. But since we don’t all live in a perfect world, in fact, no one does, you’ll want to use condoms, gloves, dental dams or fingercots when you have oral, vaginal and anal sex, when you use or share sex toys, and in some cases, when you give hand jobs. When someone pulls out a condom, dam glove or ‘cot, you know you’re in good hands. Here are your first line of defense against invading infections and viruses, in short order:

Condoms: Available in latex and polyurethane, in dozens of sizes, colors and flavors. Animal skin condoms do not prevent the spread of some viruses. A condom is a snug sheath that unrolls onto a penis or sex toy. Use condoms for fellatio, vaginal and anal sex, and for covering sex toys that are made of porous materials, or when you want to share a sex toy.

Change condoms for different sex partners and orifices — something used anally should be covered with a condom before being inserted orally or vaginally. Don’t re-use your toy condoms. Do not use anything containing oils of any kind where latex condoms may come in contact; however, polyurethane condoms may be used with oils. Always add extra lube when using latex condoms, as they absorb moisture, and keeping them moist is key to keeping them from breaking. You’ll increase sensitivity and both of your pleasure if you add a drop of lube inside the tip of the condom before you roll it on.

Dental Dams: Thin squares of latex or polyurethane used as a barrier for cunnilingus and rimming. Lubricate the genitals, place the dam on top, keep a good hold on the dam and lick to your heart’s content. Available in a few flavors and colors, and in a jam you can use plastic wrap or a condom cut open and laid flat.

Gloves: Use latex or non-latex gloves for hand jobs on any gender. They protect against germs from your hands going onto genitals, can protect your hands from picking up viruses or germs, and make hands a smooth surface free of jagged nails or scratchy calluses.

Fingercots: Tiny condoms made of latex that unroll over a finger to create a sterile surface. Great for on-the-go escapades.

If you choose to go at it uncovered, know what you are at risk for. Swapping fluids is how you infect, and can be infected by, a sex partner — though it is possible to be infected from a used sex toy. Brushing and/or flossing your teeth before sexual activity opens up small cuts in your mouth and gums, putting you and your partner at higher risk.

Sexually transmitted infections, including Bacterial Vaginosis, Vaginitis, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Chlamydia and Trichomoniasis can be treated with medications and go away after treatment (though you can infect a sex partner if you are not finished with treatment, and there is a new antibiotic-resistant strain of Gonorrhea).

Sexually transmitted viruses including Herpes, HPV (including Genital Warts), HIV, and all strains of Hepatitis (A, B, C) can be treated and managed but not cured, and you carry them for life with constant potential for outbreaks, complications and partner infection. HIV/AIDS is fatal. Make an informed decision!

If someone is infected, they are having an outbreak, or if their virus is “shedding” (when the virus, such as herpes begins reproduce and emerge prior to an outbreak: many people who have herpes can feel the oncoming outbreak during shedding and describe it as agitated tingling) — and you do not use condoms or dams, you are at risk in the following ways:

Unprotected
Fellatio (Giving)

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
Gonorrhea	Chlamydia	Hepatitis A	Bacterial vaginosis
Hepatitis B	Hepatitis C		Vaginitis
Herpes	HIV
HPV	Lice/scabies
Syphilis

Unprotected
Fellatio (Getting)

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
Gonorrhea	Chlamydia	Hepatitis A	Bacterial vaginosis
Hepatitis B	Hepatitis C		Vaginitis
Herpes	HPV
Syphilis	HIV
	Lice/scabies

Unprotected
Cunnilingus (Giving)

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
Gonorrhea	HIV	Chlamydia	Bacterial vaginosis
Hepatitis B	HPV	Hepatitis A	Vaginitis
Herpes	Lice/scabies	Hepatitis C
Syphilis

Unprotected
Cunnilingus (Getting)

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
Gonorrhea	Chlamydia	Hepatitis A	Bacterial vaginosis
Hepatitis B	HPV	Hepatitis C	Vaginitis
Herpes	HIV
Syphilis	Lice/scabies

Unprotected
Rimming (Getting)

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
Gonorrhea	Chlamydia	Hepatitis A	Bacterial vaginosis
Hepatitis B	Hepatitis C		Vaginitis
Herpes	HPV
Syphilis	HIV
	Lice/scabies

Unprotected
Rimming (Giving)

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
Gonorrhea	Chlamydia	None	Bacterial vaginosis
Hepatitis A	Hepatitis C		Vaginitis
Hepatitis B	HIV
Herpes	Lice/scabies
HPV
Syphilis

Sharing
Sex Toys

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
Chlamydia	Bacterial vaginosis	None	None
Gonorrhea	Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B	Hepatitis C
HIV	Herpes
Syphilis	HPV
	Lice/scabies
	Vaginitis

Deep
Kissing

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
None	Gonorrhea	Chlamydia	Bacterial vaginosis
	Hepatitis B	Hepatitis A	Vaginitis
	Herpes	Hepatitis C
	HPV	HIV
	Syphilis	Lice/scabies

Dry
Kissing

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
None	None	Bacterial vaginosis	None
		Chlamydia
		Gonorrhea
		Hepatitis A
		Hepatitis B
		Hepatitis C
		Herpes
		HIV
		HPV
		Lice/scabies
		Syphilis

Ejaculation
in Eye

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
Chlamydia	HIV	Hepatitis A	Bacterial vaginosis
Gonorrhea	HPV	Hepatitis C	Vaginitis
Hepatitis B			Lice/scabies
Herpes
Syphilis

*
Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis will cause conjuntivitis.

Ejaculation
on Exterior of Female Genitals

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
Gonorrhea	Chlamydia	None	Bacterial vaginosis
Hepatitis A	Hepatitis C		Lice/scabies
Hepatitis B	HIV		Vaginitis
Herpes
HPV
Syphilis

Ejaculation
in Nose

High Risk	Moderate Risk	No Risk	N/A
Chlamydia	HIV	None	Bacterial vaginosis
Gonorrhea	HPV		Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B			Hepatitis C
Herpes			Lice/scabies
Syphilis			Vaginitis