BIRTH CONTROL/CONTRACEPTION

BIRTH CONTROL/CONTRACEPTION

BIRTH CONTROL/CONTRACEPTION

When it comes to having sex, STDs aren’t the only things you have to protect
yourself from. You and your partner are equally responsible for doing what’s
n e c e s s a ry to prevent an unplanned pregnancy. Fortunately, there are a number
of safe and reliable methods. Here are a few of the most common:
• The pill. When taken properly by your partner, birth control pills are nearly
100 percent effective.
• Implants and injections. If a woman wants to avoid the inconvenience of
taking pills every day, she can have certain hormones implanted under her
skin that are effective for as long as five years. Pregnancy-preventing hormones
can also be injected, but they are effective for only three months at a time.
• Condoms. Worn properly and used with a contraceptive foam or jelly,
condoms can prevent pregnancy up to 99 percent of the time. To prevent
p r e g n a n c y, you need to wear a condom every time you have sex. And
never use it more than once.
• Va s e c t o m y. This is a surgical procedure that involves disconnecting the
tubes that carry sperm from the testicles to the penis. It’s usually done in
the doctor’s office and is generally quick and painless. A vasectomy is
virtually 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy, but it won’t protect
you against STDs. If you decide you want to have children later, it’s possible
to reconnect the tubes, but there’s less than a 50-50 chance of success.
• Patches, pills, injections, and implants for men. These options aren’t
available yet, but they will be in the near future.
R e m e m b e r, protecting yourself from unwanted pregnancy is as much your
responsibility as it is your partner’s. So make sure you and your partner talk
about birth control before you start getting undressed. If you wait longer
than that, it’s going to be hard to stop.
“ T h e re's no fighting the fact that your sex life will change as you age…
but that change doesn't necessarily have to be bad. The key is
communication. If there's something wrong, talk to a doctor,
but don't forget to talk to your partner as well. Open communication
about how you're feeling may lead to a different sex life. You and your
p a rtner may start focusing more on other intimate behaviors rather than
just sex, but that may be an enjoyable thing for both of you!”

HOW YOUR SEX LIFE CHANGES AS YOU AGE

T h e r e ’s no question that your sex life w i l l
change as you get older. You probably w o n ’t
respond to sexual stimulation as quickly as
you did when you were younger. You may
lose your erection after sex sooner and it
may take longer for you to get another
erection. But none of this means that you
c a n ’t have an active sex life. The key is to
keep it going. Without regular workouts,
your sexual muscles will get weaker.
As men, having a positive self-image is a very important part of our sex life. But
the two are connected in a kind of loop: the more attractive and desirable we
feel, the better we’ll perform. At the same time, the better we perform sexually,
the more attractive and desirable we feel. For this reason, it’s especially important
to talk with your doctor about any sexual problems. As we discussed above,
most are treatable.