Answers to Common Sexual Health Questions

1. Can you get a sexually transmitted infection [STI] from oral sex if one person has a fever blister?
   Yes. STIs, including herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and hepatitis may be transmitted orally during oral/anal sex. If there are blisters, ulcers, or any lesions present, you should abstain from this activity.

2. Can I get pregnant if I have sex without penetration?
   It’s possible for you to get pregnant without having sexual intercourse (penetration) if:
   • sperm get into your vagina - for example, if you or your partner have semen or pre-ejaculate on your fingers and touch your vagina
   • your partner ejaculates near your vagina
   • your partner’s erect penis comes into contact with your body near your vagina
   The risk of getting pregnant in this way is very low because sperm can only live for a short time outside of the body. However, if you’re not planning a pregnancy, it’s important to know that it’s possible to get pregnant in this way.

3. Is it OK to use Vaseline as a lubricant with a latex condom?
   No. Use only water-based lubricants, such as K-Y Jelly, with condoms. Oil-based lubricants, like Vaseline, can weaken the condom and cause it to break.

4. Can a woman get pregnant using the withdrawal method of birth control?
   Pulling out before the man ejaculates, known as the withdrawal method, is not a foolproof method for birth control. Some ejaculate (fluid that contains sperm) may be released before the man actually climaxes. In addition, some men may not have the willpower or be able to withdraw in time.

5. Can a woman get pregnant while breastfeeding?
   Yes. Even though breastfeeding may suppress or delay menstruation, you can still get pregnant. Ovulation will occur before you start having menstrual periods again, so follow your doctor's recommendation on the appropriate birth control method to use.

6. Can you have sex during a period?
   Yes, you can. However, some people may feel uncomfortable having sex during a woman's monthly period because it can be messy, and the presence of blood can be off-putting. Some people may also oppose it on religious grounds.
   There are a few risks associated with having sex during menstruation. HIV and a few other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may be passed on more easily during a woman's period (both from the woman to the man and vice versa).

7. Can you get pregnant if you have sex during a period?
   It’s very unlikely, but you can still get pregnant if you have unprotected sex during your period if you ovulate early. This is because sperm can survive inside a woman’s body for up to 5 days. Although the risk is small, it could happen.

8. What causes a woman to bleed after sex?
   There are many reasons why a woman may bleed after sex. The medical name for this is "postcoital bleeding". Bleeding after sex can be a sign of a health condition, such as:
   • an infection, such as pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), or a sexually transmitted infection (STI), such as chlamydia
   • vaginal dryness (atrophic vaginitis) caused by reduced vaginal secretions after the menopause
   • damage to the vagina such as tears caused by childbirth, or by dryness or friction during sex
   • cervical or endometrial polyps (benign or non-cancerous growths in the womb or the lining of the cervix)
   • cervical ectropion (also known as cervical erosion), where there is an inflamed area on the surface of the cervix
   In rare instances, bleeding after sex can be a sign of cervical or vaginal cancer.

9. Will having sex during pregnancy harm my baby?
   There's no medical evidence to suggest that sex during pregnancy does any harm to the baby. Your baby is well cushioned by a sac of fluid well beyond the neck of the womb (cervix).
   You may be advised not to have sex at certain stages of pregnancy if you have a history of miscarriage or premature labour, or if you have a low-lying placenta.
   You may notice mild contractions during and after sex but they are not powerful enough to start labour if your body is not ready. If it is ready, sex may help to start labour – substances called prostaglandins are contained in semen and can help to soften the cervix. Hormones released by nipple stimulation also encourage the womb to contract.

10. Can you catch HIV from kissing?
    No. The HIV virus can be spread through the exchange of bodily fluids, such as blood, semen and vaginal fluids. However, infectious HIV particles are unable to survive in saliva.

11. Can I use condoms after expiry date?
    It’s usually not safe to use condoms after their expiry dates because you may not be able to guarantee its integrity to protect against infection or pregnancy.
    I know many people do not know that condoms have expiry date.

12. Can HIV be passed to an unborn baby in pregnancy or through breastfeeding?
    It’s possible for HIV to be passed from a woman to her baby:
    • during pregnancy
    • during labour and birth
    • through breastfeeding
    However, if you receive treatment for HIV during pregnancy and do not breastfeed your baby, the risk of your baby getting HIV is less than 1%. Without treatment, the risk is around 25%.

13. Does a woman always bleed when she has sex for the first time?
    No, not always. When a woman has penetrative sex for the first time, she may bleed and feel some pain because of her hymen breaking.
    The hymen is a very thin piece of skin that partially covers (and sometimes completely covers) the entrance to the vagina. It usually breaks during sexual intercourse if it hasn’t already broken before this.
    The hymen can break quite easily before a woman has sex for the first time, through:
    • activities such as horse riding and other sports
    • using tampons

A woman may not know that her hymen has broken because it doesn’t always cause pain or noticeable bleeding.
If a woman's hymen breaks before she has had sex, it does not mean that she isn't a virgin.
It is therefore normal for a woman not to bleed the first time she has sex.