Thoughts About Making Bareback Sex Safer
The idea behind this article is to inspire thought by considering ways which might help make bareback sex a somewhat safer experience for men who have chosen to have bareback sex with other men. This article has been created for the purpose of thinking about barebacking and ways to help reduce health risks and is designed for men who have already made the decision to incorporate bareback sex into their personal lives. Please understand that this article should not be used as a set of HIV prevention guidelines and professional advice needs to be sought prior to acting on anything discussed here.
Choosing the right person to have bareback sex with
To lower your health risks, barebacking with a monogamous partner is one way to help achieve this outcome. If you and your partner have established a strong level of trust and you are both free of sexually transmitted infections, then you have a good understanding about the risks involved. The problem with this idea is that if either partner ventures off to have unprotected sex with other men, then the level of trust is diminished and the level of risk increases.
If you are not living in a monogamous relationship, or if you live in an open relationship, then you may consider exploring sexual adventures with other people. If you can establish trust with another person, such as an exclusive fuck buddy, then this may be a relatively safe option, providing that the buddy you choose is also healthy and that he only has unprotected sex with yourself. You need to remember that trust is a very big part of this process and while you might trust the other person, they may not be trustworthy. If one of you decides to have sex outside the fuck buddy arrangement, then the level of risk increases.
Taking good care of your body
Good health through exercise and diet can assist with keeping your immune system in optimum condition. This can be beneficial if your body is subjected to a virus or health risk, because it may give your body stronger resistance (but this is not guaranteed). Choosing healthy food options and a reasonable amount of exercise each day can help contribute to good health. Resting your body with a good nights sleep is also important. Other ways of taking care of your body include limiting the amount of alcohol you consume, removing cigarettes from your life and be conscious about drug use if this affects you. Alcohol, cigarettes and drugs may make your body more susceptible to infections because they may affect your immunity.
Another factor you may need to consider is exposing your body to risks by creating ways for infections to enter your body through your bloodstream. If you shave around your pubic area, including your scrotum, buttocks and around the base of the shaft of your penis, you could cut or nick yourself during the shaving or hair removal process, giving bodily fluids and viruses easier access to your body. This can also be an issue if you allow semen to enter your mouth. If you brush your teeth and damage your gums, they may bleed. An enema is a good idea to clean your insides before anal sex, but care needs to be taken to ensure that the cleansing process does not strip away the protective lining of the rectum. Genital piercings also need to be taken into consideration, as they could cause problems.
Checking out the equipment before proceeding
It’s a great idea to examine yourself for any signs of sexually transmitted infections or wounds which may expose you to any potential health risks. You are just as responsible for transmitting any viruses as the other guy, so it’s important to check things out close to home before venturing out. If you don’t see any signs of sexually transmitted infections, such as sores, rashes or other symptoms, then you need to check out the other guy before taking things further. Try to do this in the most casual way you can, because being clinical or psychotic about it won’t do anything to keep you in the mood.
A little something to help things go more smoothly
Choosing the right type of lubricant may be a very important factor, because you need to be aware that too much friction can cause flesh damage, such as a tear in the rectum. Too much lubricant can have the opposite affect, where things are so slippery that the sensation is reduced. Some lubricants now include ingredients which assist in relaxing the anal sphincter muscles to reduce the pain which can be associated with anal penetration. Water based lube is the most common type of lube, which can dry out after a while, so you may need to add some saliva to it, silicone based lube is a great choice for a consistently smooth experience and oil based lube (not condom friendly) can be very greasy and difficult to clean up after wards.
Pulling out before releasing the load
Some men may choose to limit their exposure to bodily fluid by pulling out before ejaculation takes place. This process may be somewhat effective, however, seminal fluid may also carry viruses. Some sexually transmitted infections don’t require bodily fluid – skin to skin contact is all that is sometimes needed for transmission to take place. If you choose this option, you need to be aware that it’s important for the top to pull out before he ejaculates, so a level of trust needs to be established. Remember that it’s easy to live in the moment and forget about withdrawing before the fluid begins to flow.
Choosing a partner with the same health status as you
Some men choose to only have sex with people who have the same health status as themselves. Both HIV negative and HIV positive men can do this in a process called serosorting. Serosorting involves both men establishing their own health status and maintaining the knowledge of their status to accurately remain having sexual contact with people of the same status. HIV negative men do this by only having sex with other HIV negative men and HIV positive men only ever have unprotected sex with other HIV positive men. This can be done for other sexually transmitted infections, but serosorting relies on honesty and pinpointing accurate health assessments, which can impact on its effectiveness and reliability.
Sometimes you just need to protect yourself
If you discover that either yourself or your potential sex partner has an issue with their health, then you may decide to forego your sexual encounter or choose a lower risk activity. Sometimes it’s best to avoid having sex to stay healthy rather than taking a risk for a few moments of pleasure. Another option is that you may choose to use a condom in some instances so that you can still have sex, but be better equipped to protect yourself in the event that a health concern is identified. This is something that needs to be considered on an individual level, as some barebackers completely avoid using condoms and they are not considered an option for some.
These are just some of the ways men can try to make bareback sex a safer experience. Of course the level of safety depends on each individual and also the precautions taken. It’s important to remember that you can be as careful as possible and still end up contracting a sexually transmitted infection. This is why men who choose to have bareback sex need to make an informed decision beforehand and be aware of the risks associated with bareback sex and be prepared for the consequences of possibly becoming infected by another person. Each of us is in control of our own actions, do only we can be held accountable for the choices we make.
Loading ...
