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Sexual Health Sexual Health Basics

Staying Healthy: Practicing Responsible Sexual Behavior

Summary & Participants

Sexual contact can sometimes result in problems. An unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases may be some of those consequences. But by practicing safe sex, being monogamous or abstaining, the risks of these difficulties are greatly reduced.

Medically Reviewed On: July 04, 2008

Webcast Transcript

ANNOUNCER: One of the facts of life is that people have sex, but today, more than ever, having a responsible attitude is something that should accompany every sexual encounter.

ANNOUNCER: The major risks of unprotected sex are the chronic sexually transmitted diseases that go with it as well as all the psychological complications if you have a child and aren't planning on it.

Whether it is simple gonorrhea and syphilis; whether it is the herpes virus, all of these diseases have some chronicity and some real seriousness and are not joking matters. There are a series of HIV diseases that have serious lifelong consequences.

ANNOUNCER: Preventing unwanted consequences of sexual contact means acting carefully.

ANNOUNCER: It seems axiomatic if you live in today's society, you know ways of practicing responsible sexual behavior. It is having a mutually monogamous mate, if you will, or partner. It is using condoms. Abstinence is the one practiced by some groups.

ANNOUNCER: For years the attitude about sexually transmitted diseases has been "it couldn't happen to me," but the reality is everyone needs to address the problem.

ANNOUNCER: Sexually transmitted diseases are socioeconomically equal opportunity, if you will, infection. So it's everybody in society can get sexually transmitted disease, and it's not just the low classes or just the high classes or anybody in between. It's everybody can get it. And everyone is at risk for it.