Let's face it, sex ed classes aren't very helpful for gay or bisexual guys. You pretty much learn that you have to wrap your meat or you'll get sick and that's about all. After that, they just throw us to the wolves and we have to figure that crap out for ourselves.
It's pretty messed up and until the education system emerges from the dark ages of hetero-normative curriculum, we are always going to need a little extracurricular help to get it all sorted out. Bearing that in mind, here are a few pearls of wisdom regarding sexual health that your "reproductive health" teacher almost certainly left out.
1. Safe Sex Is The Sexiest Sex
At the risk of sounding like an early 90's public service announcement, it has to be said that safe sex is an extremely important aspect of sexuality in general. Its importance cannot be overstated, and it will affect more than just your health. If you like sex, you probably want to keep having it. The best way to ensure this is to be sure you are healthy enough to fuck. Health issues aside, you can't go out and have all that great sex you like so much if you are a carrier of a disease. Safe sex will help protect your life, but it will also help to preserve your sex-life as well.
2. The Myth Of The Male Multiple Orgasm
Don't be deceived by the header, the real myth of the multiple orgasm is that they don't exist. The actual fact of the matter is that they are possible and with a little work, anyone can have them. Well, maybe "a little work" was a poor choice of words, but they are definitely attainable through learning various exercises for breathing, muscle control, and relaxation. That might sound like an awful lot of work to some people, but the full-body orgasmic bliss that is attainable is well worth the effort. If this is something you are interested in learning, search online for an in depth guide and do the work. You won't regret it!
3. Condoms Aren't Perfect
This is one thing that you almost certainly did learn in sex-ed, but it definitely bears repeating. STI's are still a possibility whether you are wearing a condom or not. Many STI's exist outside of the protection zone of a condom. Even if you are practicing safe sex in the sense that you always use a condom, it is still important to realize that safe sex goes beyond that. You should always know your partners status as well as your own. Safe sex includes being smart about STI's and how to mitigate their impact on not only your health but the health of the LGBTQ community as a whole.
4. Asking Your Partners Status Is Not Out Of Line
In fact, not disclosing your status to a partner is about as out of line as you can get. If you are mature enough to have sex, then you are mature enough to be realistic about all that having sex entails. This includes being open, honest, and responsible about STI's. If your partner gets offended, or cagey when asked about their status, you should really pause and re-evaluate what you're about to do. No joke. You should never gamble your health just to avoid a few moments of social awkwardness. It's simply not worth it. Your partner should respect you enough to understand that these uncomfortable little moments are simply a fact of being sexually active in the modern era.
5. Sperm Color Varies From Time To Time
While it is true that off-color sperm can be a sign of an STI, don't immediately freak out if your sperm is a slightly different shade- it's perfectly normal for there to be variations in the shade of your sperm. Clear, slightly yellow, or snowy white are all normal colors. However, if your sperm is a particularly thick, darker yellow or some other troubling color, you'll probably want to go get checked out. This is also true if your sperm suddenly changes color or you experience reddish or brown sperm for more than a few days.
6. Erectile Dysfunction Isn't Just an Old Man's Problem
Nobody is quite certain why, but ED is on the rise among younger men in the United States. Considering all the factors that affect the functionality of your erection, it's easy to see why this problem is hard to pin down. Drugs, alcohol, and even just plain old anxiety can add up to a stubbornly flaccid penis. Most guys have an ED event at some point in their lives, no matter how healthy or mentally balanced. It's just one of those things. Don't let it get you down and definitely don't obsess about it. One night of performance anxiety or whiskey dick doesn't mean you're a eunuch. In fact, worrying too much about it can cause anxiety that may make the issue worse. Try to take it in stride and you'll do fine.
If you feel you need an added boost, try a natural erection supplement or a cock ring to increase the hardness of your erection and improve performance. A good starting guide on cock rings can be found here.
7. Cut Your Damn Nails!
Don't just stop there, file those bastards too! Seriously though, this is super important. Those little fingies get to poking around all sorts of sensitive places. The tissues in those areas are extremely easy to puncture or lacerate, and nobody needs or wants that sort of trouble. The area underneath your nails is also an amazing hideout for all sorts of microbial life that can easily cause infection in such sensitive and easily infected areas such as those found in your ass. Besides, if you think a stray tooth during a blowjob is bad, imagine a scratched rectum!
8. Pee Before And After Sex
It's a good idea to pee before sex because it's pretty distracting to have to go during. It also makes it harder to achieve an orgasm with a full bladder. It's a good idea to pee after sex because it helps flush out your business. Personally, peeing after sex isn't something a lot of guys get to choose whether or not to do. Myself and many of my boyfriends find that we just simply have to go once the fun is over.
9. Antidepressants Often Affect Sex-Drive
The wide-scale use of anti-depressants has been on the rise for well over a decade now, and I would be remiss not mention that they can have a serious impact on your sex life in a number of ways. Many anti-depressants will affect your libido. Although some people report an increase in sex-drive, the vast majority of people whose libido has been affected report a serious drop in sexual desire. Not only that, some can even cause erectile dysfunction or even the inability to achieve orgasm. I'm not saying you should or should not use anti-depressants, that is for you and your doctor to decide. I just thought it was worth mentioning here is all.
10. Sex Drive Comes And Goes
Whether you are taking medication that affects your sex-drive or not, sometimes you just don't feel like having sex. It's perfectly normal for the human sex drive to wax and wane, don't sweat it. However, if you experience a sudden and intense change in your sex-drive one way or the other, you might want to take note. Sudden and drastic change in libido can be a symptom of mental illnesses such as depression. You know your rhythms, if something about your sex-drive is troubling you, you may want to seek help.
Well, there you have it. Ten things they probably should have taught you in sex-ed but they were too afraid to do so. Hopefully, someday young gay/Bi men will have a better way to learn this stuff than some guy on the internet, but for now, that's what we've got. I just hope you found this article informative and helpful. Play safe out there!
