What a home kit can and cannot test A home kit is a self-collection route: you gather the sample yourself and send it for laboratory testing. The sample types that STI testing generally relies on are blood, urine, or swabs from your vagina, throat, or rectum (CDC STI testing). A kit that asks for a … Read more
The short answer: most lubricants are not sperm-friendly If you are trying to conceive, the lubricant you reach for matters. Standard personal lubricants are formulated for comfort and glide, not for sperm survival, and the evidence is clear that the wrong product can work against you. Water-based personal lubricants are the most popular type as … Read more
The annual figures you actually need If you want the number that matters for a year of relying on condoms, the honest answer is that condoms are assessed two ways: typical use and perfect use (Wikipedia). The typical-use figure is the one that reflects real life. The occasional slip, the rushed moment, the condom that … Read more
The three routes, and what each one gives you You can get contraception from a GP, from a sexual health clinic, and from a pharmacy. The NHS lists contraception services as a place to get contraception, including emergency contraception, for free (NHS: where to get contraception). That single sentence is the practical answer to your … Read more
What causes genital warts Genital warts are a sexually transmitted infection caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) (Wikipedia). The types most often responsible are HPV 6 and 11. Cause the majority of genital warts, while types 16, 18, 31, 33, and 35 are occasionally found as well (Wikipedia). CDC guidance puts the same … Read more
Start Here: Your Two Options and How Fast You Need to Move Emergency contraception is a birth control measure used after unprotected sex to reduce the risk of pregnancy (Wikipedia). The NHS frames the same idea plainly: it can stop you getting pregnant after unprotected sex, meaning sex without contraception or when contraception might have … Read more
The short answer: permanent, surgical, and done under anaesthetic Female sterilisation — often called “getting your tubes tied” or tubal ligation — is a permanent method of contraception. It works by blocking or sealing the fallopian tubes so that an egg and sperm cannot meet, which prevents pregnancy (NHS: female sterilisation). It is a surgical … Read more
How the pill works and when you take it The pill is a daily oral contraceptive that works mainly by preventing ovulation. When taken correctly, it alters the menstrual cycle to eliminate ovulation and prevent pregnancy (Combined oral contraceptive pill). Combined pills contain two hormones — a progestin (a synthetic form of progestogen/progesterone) and estrogen … Read more
Every method the site covers, grouped by type, with the two facts that settle most of the choice.
Flavoured condoms are made for oral sex. If you want a condom for penetrative sex — vaginal or anal — use a standard, unflavoured one instead. The flavour is there to make oral sex more pleasant. It is not designed for internal use, and the two caveats that matter most are sugar-based flavourings (which can … Read more