Sex is a fantastic part of our lives. Men can have sex with lots of different partners, or just one. Men can also enjoy sex in many different ways. It’s all okay.
Responsible sex is about making the correct choices for ourselves and our partners based on mutual respect, open communication and honesty. This means looking after our health as well as the health of our partners.
Who men have sex with
Some of us are in relationships or are married; others of us are single. Some of us have several sexual partners. Many men only have sex with women, while many of us have sex with both men and women. Others only have sex with men.
We cannot choose whether we are attracted to women, to men, or to both; this is not something we can decide. It is just who we are.
We do choose how many men or women we have sex with and we make the choice to only have consensual sex with other adults.
What sex men have
There are many different kinds of sex.
Kissing, oral sex (blow job), anal sex, vaginal sex, thigh sex, group sex and mutual masturbation are all sex acts we can choose to do with our partners.
Some of these acts are riskier when it comes to getting HIV than others. For example, anal sex without a condom and water-based lubrication poses a very high risk of getting HIV or passing it to others.
When men have sex
We can have sex when we are feeling in control of ourselves, or we can have sex when we have been drinking or taking drugs and might not be able to make responsible choices. If we think we are going to have anal or vaginal sex we should ensure we have condoms and water-based lubrication with us and that we use them.
