Author: Island Sexual Health Community Health Centre

“Dental dams”:/sex-safety/dental-dams/ like the one pictured here reduce the risk of herpes transmission during oral sex.

Condoms reduce your risk of gonorrhea infections. “Make an appointment”:/about/appointments/ to get tested for gonorrhea and other STIs.

“Use condoms”:/sex-safety/using-condoms/ to reduce your risk of chlamydia. “Make an appointment”:/about/appointments/ to get tested at our clinics.

!/images/32.jpg (Photo: three friends outside our clinic)!

For natural family planning to be effective, you need to do your research.

Withdrawal is *not* an effective way to prevent pregnancy or infections. You may be happier using different “birth control”:/birthcontrol/.

Spermicides such as this nonoxynol-9 foam are best used in combination with other birth control, such as “condoms”:/birthcontrol/condom/ or “diaphragms”:/birthcontrol/diaphragm.

“Call us”:/about/locations/ and we will recommend a Victoria doctor who can fit you for a diaphragm.

Cervical caps are not available in Victoria, but you may be able to purchase one on the internet. You need to see a doctor to find the right size.

Used properly, condoms are effective protection against both pregnancy and infections. They also come in fun colours!