SEX EDUCATION 101: 6 Things You Weren’t Taught in School...

What you weren’t taught in school…updated information to keep your love life safe and happy.

Summer has come and gone and students are back in school. Most likely it’s been awhile since you had a Sex Ed course and times have changed. Let’s face it—your information is old school!

New York psychiatrist and sex therapist Madeleine Castellanos, MD, offers updated, “new school” information that everyone should know to stay in the safe sex zone: 

• According to the CDC, nearly half of the 19 million new STDs contracted each year are among young people aged 15–24 years (2011).

• Oral sex is not considered ‘safe sex.’ HIV, HPV, herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis may all be transmitted via oral sex.  In addition, a 2011 study found that the proportion of oropharyngeal cancers related to HPV increased from 16.3% to 71.7% between 1984 and 2004.

• Make oral sex safer by using a flavored condom like DKT’s Prudence brand condoms, which offer a wide variety of flavors and scents (banana, watermelon, strawberry, grape, chocolate and more) guaranteed to tickle your taste buds as well as your partner’s fancy!  

• More than $8 billion is spent each year to diagnose and treat STIs and their complications, not including HIV (Guttmacher Institute). STIs (Sexually Transmitted Infections) are definitely out there.  Protect yourself from getting them and/or spreading them.

• Oil and latex do not mix—so using petroleum jelly, baby oil, moisturizers or everyday kitchen oils with a condom can cause the latex to break down and increases your chance of breakage and infection. Wet® Platinum® Premium Silicone Lubricant and Wet® Light® Liquid Lubricant are both latex-friendly. When used correctly, Wet lube also helps to reduce excess friction, thus lessening the risk of tears.

• That funky smell down there may have nothing to do with hygiene!  A number of everyday triggers, including menstruation, pregnancy, intercourse or medications, can upset the delicate vaginal ecosystem and elevate pH, causing an odor, increase or change in discharge, or a bacterial infection. Fragrance sprays, wipes and pads just mask the problem. RepHresh Gel keeps the pH balanced--an important tool in decreasing chances of bacterial vaginosis, and eliminating that “fishy” odor by treating the root cause.

Wet hopes these tips from sex therapist, MD and psychotherapist, Dr. Madeleine Castellanos will keep your love life safe and intimate this school year.

June is HIV/AIDS Awareness Month and June 27th is National HIV Awareness Day

This year, Wet Personal Lubricants has partnered with Chicagoland HIV Testing Collaborative’s (CHTC) "Step Up. Get Tested." campaign by donating 100,000 Safe Sex Kits containing a condom and a sample of Wet Platinum Premium Silicone Lubricant.  The Wet Safe Sex Kits will be handed out at mobile HIV testing units across the Chicago area June 5th through July 4th, 2014. The goal is to not only test at least 5,000 people every June, but to reduce the stigma and fear that surrounds HIV testing.

Last year, CHTC’s "Step Up. Get Tested." campaign made 40,000 contacts in one month and tested well over 5,000 people, giving away 100,000 Wet Safe Sex kits in the process. This campaign is one of the many HIV Testing and awareness campaigns happening in cities across America to mark this awareness day with activities that encourage people to get tested regularly for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. We believe everyone should say yes to the test!

“We’re proud to be the exclusive lubricant sponsor for Step Up. Get Tested.," said Michael Trigg, founder and CEO of Trigg Labs. “We hope our safe sex kits will increase public awareness to reduce the stigma associated with getting tested for HIV. It’s so important to get educated, tested, and to know your current HIV status. Information is power and with that information you can protect yourself and others and, if necessary, get the proper treatment and counseling to live long and healthy lives.”

GET TESTED!

The only way to know if you have HIV is to get tested. Testing is relatively simple. You can get an HIV test from your doctor or healthcare provider, community health center, Veteran’s health center, a local family planning clinic, and other many locations.
HIV testing is available FREE and ANONYMOUS in many places.  For HIV testing resources visit:  www.hivtest.cdc.gov
To learn more about HIV and the stages of the disease that lead to AIDS, visit the Center for Disease Control.  www.cdc.gov/hiv

CONDOM SENSE!

Using a condom is a very effective way to prevent contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or infection (STI).  The catch?  Only Consistently + Correctly = Effectively

Condom Tips:

Check the expiration date!
Yes, they do have one.  Look for it before you purchase the condoms and before you use each one to be sure that it hasn’t expired.

Buy condoms that fit properly.
Like us, condoms come in a variety of sizes. Condoms that are too tight are uncomfortable and don’t leave enough room for semen to burst in on the scene. Condoms that are too loose can hold air bubbles that can increase breakage. They can also slip off easily. For more details on condom sizes, go to http://www.condomdepot.com/reviews/best-condoms.cfm

Store condoms in a cool, dry place.
Latex can dry out and become brittle when it’s stored in summer heat or winter cold or when   temperatures vary throughout the day. Your glove box or your wallet may seem like the most convenient option but they are not the best places for storing them.

Open the wrapper with your hands.
Sometimes they are tricky to open.  It’s tempting to use your teeth or scissors.  Teeth and any other sharp instrument should be avoided, as the risk of puncturing or tearing the condom is higher if you do.

Put the condom on before there is any genital to genital contact.
Any exchange of bodily fluids harbors the risk of transmission.  This exchange can happen well before penetration so be sure you wrap it up before the action gets hot and heavy.

Lubrication is important!
Placing a drop of personal lubricant on the inside of the condom before you roll it on will enhance your enjoyment. Using lubricant generously on the outside of the condom will reduce friction and thereby reduce the risk of the condom breaking. Use an FDA approved Personal Lubricant such as Wet® Light®, Wet® Platinum®, and Wet® Uranus™ Silicone-Based. These have all been certified as 510(k) medical devices for use with condoms.

Be sure it is not inside out before you start.
Both the tip of the condom and the rolled edge should be pointing the same direction.

See illustration here:  http://aidssupportgroupsaba.com/photographs/condom1.jpg

Do not unroll the condom before you put it on.
You must unroll the condom down the shaft all the way to the bottom. This can apply to toys too.  Do not share toys with your partner unless you put a fresh condom on the toy in between uses.

Pinch the reservoir tip while you are rolling on the condom.  Once the condom has been rolled on completely, be sure to squeeze out any air bubbles.

Hold on to the base of the condom when you pull out. 
The muscles of the vagina and/or the rectum are strong. They might peel that condom right off.

Take it out with you to prevent spilling the contents on or in your partner.

Sex Myth's Busted – Oral Sex Is NOT exactly Safe Sex, But It Can Be Safer Sex With These Tips!

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Wet® Platinum® to be one of the two safest lubricants

We are not surprised that recent research on lubricant use and potential HIV infection found Wet® Platinum® to be one of the two safest lubricants in terms of the toxicity tested. All of our 80+ products have been developed, tested and manufactured to comply with stringent FDA Medical Device regulations, in our state-of-the-art facilities, for exceptional purity, consistency and comfort levels. According to the study, ingredients in some of the lubricants tested were found to be responsible for stripping away cells on the rectal tissue, thus increasing the risk of transmitting disease. The subject of the research study, the Wet Platinum product we market, does not contain these dissolved salts or sugars and was found by the study to have no toxicity.

Click here for more information (PDF)!