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Originally Posted by alex8 I think it's a battle of semantics in which neither side wins.
Those who go with "safe sex" will focus on issues of enjoying and promoting sex in a wholly positive light.
Those who go with "safer sex" will focus on reminding people that they should still exercise caution within the context of enjoying sex.
I don't think either term is especially useful, ultimately, as one promises of a world of woe, and the other a world of absolute safety. |
All your points are absolutely true, Alex. But...
I did volunteer work for a local AIDS education charity some years ago. They had studies (which I'll try to sniff out on the internet) which showed that talking about the behaviour in terms of "safe" sex actually increased compliance. If you you keep reminding people that all sex involves some level of risk, then they lose faith in safe sex measures. "If it's all unsafe, I might as well be
really unsafe and enjoy myself more."
Alas, I think the lawyers got hold of the material and insisted that they talk about "safer" sex lest it be interpreted as an express warranty. (They gave out their own branded condoms, you see...)
For the record, I had an HIV positive lover for a year, and we practiced safe/safer sex. I remain negative, you'll be pleased to know. Though I hear my lawyers in the background with a caveat that this may not hold for everyone...