9 safe séx reminders every girl should know

Think you’re having safe séx? Think again. You might be at risk even if you’re using condóms, taking birth control pills—or even not having intercourse at all.
Lauren Streicher, MD, an assistant clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, issues nine safe séx reminders.


Anál Instead of Vaginal
Quite a few Cosmo girls have told us they’re not into anál, but for any ladies who try to avoid pregnancy by having ánal séx: If you’re not using a cóndom, you’re still leaving yourself open to STDs. (So, use a condóm.)

Pull and Pray
Pulling out when he ejaculates to be extra careful? There’s spérm in the pre-ejaculate that slips out of his member and into your vagina during sex, so you can still get pregnant. Not to mention, if his spérm is deposited right outside your vagina, those spérm can swim and still cause pregnancy. Best to use a cóndom regardless.

You Got Tested
You and your man claim you’ve been “tested for everything,” but different doctors test for different STDs, so make sure you know what you’re actually been scanned for. For example, Dr. Streicher’s battery scans for gonorreah, chlamydia, hepatitis, HIV, herpes and syphilis, but not all docs are as comprehensive.

He’s a Virgin
Even if you don’t have séx with a guy, and even if he’s a virgin, he can still give you HPV. The virus (which can give you genital warts or cervical cancer) is spread through skin-to-skin contact, not semen, so if he’s been naked and rubbed his pénis against another woman’s vagina during a hookup, he can pass it to you the same way. (Unfortunately there’s no way to test a dude for HPV.)

To Shot Or Not
Consult your personal doctor, but if you’re under 26, Dr. Streicher says the best way of protecting against HPV is to get vaccinated.

Double Bagging
Some women think, “Two condóms: I’m doubly safe!” But double bagging is the worst thing you can do. Two lubricated condóms get slippery against each other and can fall off, depositing spérm inside you—and leaving you open to contracting an STD.

Tinkle, Tinkle
The best way to prevent against a UTI (urinary tract infection) is to pee after séx. Intercourse can irritate your bladdér (which is located on top of your uterus) and cause infection. Pee after séx to get rid of bacteria that may accumulate in your urethra.

Don’t Forget Day 1 of the Pill
If you’re on a 28-day birth control pill cycle and you forget the first pill of a new cycle, you’re at risk for pregnancy. Why? You’ve been off the pill taking placebos for the past seven days. It’s unlikely, but there’s a shot!

Keep an Eye on Your IUD
In rare cases, an IUD could slip out while you’re going to the bathroom, without you even knowing, leaving you at risk for pregnancy. So keep an eye out for anything amiss.