LOS ANGELES, Feb. 13, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- With Valentine's Day tomorrow and love in the air, myLAB Box, the first at-home sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing service, is sharing 7 tips to ensure 'Safe Sex':
1. Talk To Your Partner. Communication is important in any relationship and especially if you're going to engage in safe sex. Having clear, open, and honest communication is key so that both partners are able to talk comfortably about expectations, sexual partners and their own experiences with STD testing. The best course of action for good communication is to focus on the truth as opposed to what you think your partner wants to hear. Improving your communication skills will not only make your sex life safer, but it will also make it more fulfilling.
2. Know Your Limits. Each of us has our own threshold as far as what we what like and don't like during sex. A good strategy is to think how far you are willing to go with your partner before heading out on a date. For example, are you looking for sex? Are you looking to just fool around? Are you not looking for either and want to abstain from sex during the evening? Once you conclude what your intentions are, then you'll have a solid game plan to execute and one less thing to think or stress about later on.
3. Be Responsible For Your Own Protection. Part of making responsible sexual choices is being prepared to enact them. It doesn't matter if you're male or female, gay or straight. If you're going to have sex with someone, you should be prepared. This is not only a matter of emotional preparation but practicality. Bring your own safe sex supplies. The worst thing that can happen is that you'll have extras which are way better than the alternative.
4. Use a Condom the Right Way. Only use latex condoms and use a new condom for every act of vaginal, anal, and oral sex. You should also always check the expiration date on a condom. An expired condom can break easily, rendering it useless. Chances are, that a condom that's been in your wallet since freshman year may be one of them. If you feel the condom break at any point during sexual activity, stop immediately and put on a new condom. That may not set the mood you're looking for, but you'll be glad you did.
5. The Sexiest Thing is Safe Sex. When we're talking about sex, the risk of a surprise pregnancy is what most people worry about. That said, you absolutely need to keep an eye out for sexually transmitted diseases and infections, too. STIs are more rampant than ever these days. We're in the middle of an STI epidemic. According to the CDC, almost two-thirds of all reported cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea in the United States were among people aged 15–24. This risk is made even greater because having one of these STIs can increase your chances of contracting HIV. It pays to educate yourself on the common signs and symptoms of the most common STIs. myLAB Box's blog and FAQ page provide invaluable study material.
6. A Ring is Not Always For Your Finger. To help protect against pregnancy and STIs, how about considering a female condom? It's a soft, loose-fitting pouch with a ring on each end. One ring is inserted into the vagina to hold the female condom in place. The ring at the open end of the condom remains outside the vagina. The outer ring helps keep the condom in place and is also used for removal.
7. I Do… Know My Status. Again, STIs are a serious health risk. Regular testing is the best way to consistently know your and your partner's status. As the numbers of STIs increases, we all need to ramp up our level of carefulness. For example, HPV is shockingly common. Far more people than you might expect are living with this ultra-common STI. Just because it's common doesn't mean it's harmless, though. According to the CDC, HPV is responsible for nearly 91% of cervical cancers, 75% of vaginal cancers, 69% of vulvar cancers, 63% of penile cancers and 91% of anal cancers.
"Valentine's Day is a great time to reinforce safe sexual health practices so that we're focusing more time on spreading love and romance and less time on STIs and STDs," said Lora Ivanova, CEO & Co-Founder, myLAB Box. "As the leading voice for taking care of your sexual health, at myLAB Box we believe these tips we are sharing will help all of you enjoy the holiday in a safe and a great way!"
About myLAB Box
Founded in 2013, myLAB Box is the first company to offer a nationwide at-home screening platform for STDs. All myLAB Box tests are validated by fully licensed CLIA-certified myLAB Box lab affiliates with extensive experience in testing for infectious diseases. By offering testing, screening or testing services directly to consumers, myLAB Box is able to offer exceptional service at half the cost of conventional lab tests. From affordable screening to complimentary physician consultations for positives, every aspect of the myLAB Box service is designed to be safe, effective and efficient. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California. For more information, visit: http://www.mylabbox.com.
SOURCE myLAB Box
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