Birth Control and Safer Sex Trivia Quiz

Answer: birth control pill

While the birth control pill is 92-99.7% effective in preventing pregnancy and regulating menstruation, it is not effective against the spread of STIs and HIV/AIDS because it does not have anything to do with blocking the exchange of bodily fluids during sexual activity. Male condoms, female condoms, and continuous abstinence are the only methods that prevent transmission of STIs and HIV/AIDS. STI or sexually transmitted infections is used instead of STDs, specifically because most STIs are curable and are infections rather than diseases.

Answer: True

Weight gain/loss changes the overall shape of the body and thus it may affect the overall level of proper coverage outside of her cervix, where the diaphragm is placed.

Answer: Yes

Many STIs are asymptomatic, which means that you could be infected and not know; even more troublesome, you could show no symptoms and still be passing the STI onto your sexual partner(s). How often you get tested depends upon your personal lifestyle, but you should take the time to have yourself tested for HIV/AIDS and other STIs between relationships/partners to ensure that both yourself and your partner are safe and healthy. No matter what anyone says, to know you are healthy is better than worrying you are not.

Answer: Yes

An HPV test (Hologic Corporation's Cervista HPV High-Risk (HR) test) has been given FDA approval and it is possible for women to be tested for certain strains of HPV through a routine Pap smear examination. As for herpes, viral tests can be performed for herpes if an outbreak is underway, or if a lesion is present.

Herpes can also be tested for through four different types of blood tests, and while they cannot determine whether the herpes is orally or genitally based, it can detect the virus within the body.

Answer: Yes

It does not matter what way you engage in sexual activity, no matter where you are or how you think you are "outsmarting" your body, unprotected sex of any kind puts you and your partner at risk for contracting an STI, HIV/AIDS, or becoming pregnant. All of the examples in the question are poor excuses people have used or bad decisions people have made because they didn't understand how to properly protect themselves.

Answer: hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a transmitted via direct exposure to contaminated blood. The current statistical rate of co-infection is one quarter of all HIV-infected Americans and the CDC encourages all individuals who test positive for HIV to then be tested for hepatitis C virus infection.

Hepatitis C causes considerable damage to a person's liver and is one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease.

Answer: saliva

HIV/AIDS cannot be transmitted through toilet seats, saliva, or skin-to-skin contact; it can only be transmitted in four ways: blood, seminal fluid (semen), vaginal fluid, and breast milk. High-risk behaviors for transmission include all forms of sexual intercourse, blood-sharing, intravenous drug use, and breast milk from mother to child.

Answer: That the condom has special colors or textural features

If you or your partner are allergic to latex you need to seek condoms made of an alternate material like polyurethane. All condoms come with an expiration date stamped on the wrapper and you should always check to make sure. Condoms can deteriorate if they are kept in locations with extreme temperature or exposure to light, so keeping a condom in your wallet for long periods of time until you are ready to use it is not a wise decision to make. Condom wrappers must be properly sealed in order to ensure their effectiveness. If you press center of the wrapper in between your fingers you should feel a slight pressure signifying that there is air in the package. If you feel the slight air pressure, the condom has not been punctured. And finally, as most condoms are made of latex, it is important that the lubrication you use, if you use one, be water or silicone based rather than oil-based. Oil breaks down latex, so if you are determined to use oil based lubricants (i.e. Vaseline, mineral oil, lotion, vegetable oil, Boy Butter), use a polyurethane (plastic) condom.

There are so many choices for male condoms that everyone can find one that suits them, so don't ever let anyone tell you that nothing works for them.

Answer: No

This should never be done. Contrary to what your friends or the media tell you, wearing 2 condoms actually heavily decreases the effectiveness of condoms because it puts strain on them and they are thus more prone to ripping/tearing. One condom is enough protection and adding more is always a mistake.

Answer: False

Spermicide used to be promoted as additional protection against STIs, HIV/AIDS, and unwanted pregnancy, but the World Health Organization has since said that it does NOT provide additional protection against any of the above. Condoms with spermicide expire quicker and some people may have allergic reaction to them.

In addition, spermicides should not be used in anal intercourse as nonoxynol-9 can be very dangerous if it enters the bloodstream, of which there is a higher risk with anal sex.