GETTING USED TO CONDOMS

GETTING USED TO CONDOMS

Some people have said that stopping to put on a condom kills spontaneity and deadens sensation. It would be foolish to suggest that intercourse with a condom is exactly the same as intercourse without. But many people have made condoms an integral part of a satisfying sex life.

Getting out the condoms before any sexual activity has taken place can raise the sexual temperature: a hint of what is to follow. Rolling a condom down your partner's penis (or your partner rolling one down yours - whatever applies) can be a sexy experience for both of you.




RELATIONSHIPS

If you are in a relationship (or starting one), the prospect of always having safer sex may be daunting. Some people choose not to use condoms in this situation. However, this is only a reliable way of avoiding HIV infection if you know that neither of you has HIV, and you are confident that neither of you will have unsafe sex with anyone else.

Having an HIV test is the only way of being sure that this strategy will work. For more information, see the Terrence Higgins Trust's booklet Testing Issues



Safer Drug Use

Sharing any drug injecting equipment (works) can easily lead to HIV and other diseases carried in the blood (such as hepatitis B and C) being passed on. Works are not just the needle and syringe but include spoons, mixing dishes, filters, water and citric acid.

If you inject drugs, use a new needle and syringe each time and don't share any injecting equipment. New equipment can be bought from some chemists, or is available free from needle exchanges, most drug agencies and some chemists. Look out for this sign:

In most needle exchanges you do not have to literally exchange old needles for new ones. You should be able to get a supply of new, sterilised needles.

Get rid of your used works carefully. Needle exchange schemes provide sharps or 'cin' bins for safe disposal. If you do not have one, put the needle and syringe into a tin can, crush carefully to ensure they do not fall out, then place in a bin.

Cleaning works

It is best to go to a needle exchange and get a new set of works. But if sharing is impossible to avoid, works can be cleaned between users as a last resort. Cleaning works will kill HIV, but not hepatitis C. Hep C is more common among drug users than HIV and can have serious long-term effects.

This is what you should do to clean works:

draw fresh cold water through the needle into the syringe and flush x 3

draw household bleach through the needle into the syringe and flush x 3

draw fresh cold water through the needle into the syringe and flush x 3

The bleach should stay in the syringe for 30 seconds. Remember not to flush out into the clean water.

Do not use hot water: it will make the blood congeal so traces may be left behind. Boiling works may not remove all the blood for the same reason, and anyway disposable works usually buckle if boiled.

The Terrence Higgins Trust leaflet Reducing the Risks gives more information about keeping as healthy as you can if you are a drug user.



If you are concerned about your own or a friend or partner's drug use, you could contact the Terrence Higgins Trust for support and information about further help available.