Guys and girls have so many different ideas about sex and love. Some people stick with one lover, but others think it’s fine to sleep with a few people at the same time. But sleeping with more than one person puts your health (and theirs) at risk.

You live in the time of HIV and this makes sleeping around very risky:

• They may not be using a condom correctly every single time they have sex. Especially in an ongoing, long-term sexual relationship.
• You increase your chances of having one or more partners who are HIV+ or of unknown status.
• You increase your chance of having unprotected sex with a newly infected partner. Did you know that a person who has recently been infected with HIV has millions of viruses in their blood and you can be easily infected if you have unprotected sex with them.

What can you do to reduce your risk of being infected?

1. Don’t sleep around and don’t sleep with someone who does.
2. Don’t sleep with older people - men or women – as a general rule that’s someone five or more years older than you are. They’ve had more partners, are more likely to have an STI or HIV, and are more likely to have more than one partner at the same time.
3. Don’t drink too much or take drugs. You are more likely to have unsafe sex if you are not in control.
4. Talk to your partner about what you expect. Ask them if they are sleeping with someone else too. Accept that they may also not be truthful. Therefore, protect yourself at all times.
5. Learn how to use the male and/or female condoms correctly and use them consistently (that means every time you have sex).
6. Use a condom even if you are in a long-term relationship. Even though you are faithful, you cannot be sure the other person will be.

Having sex with many sexual partners at the same time really increases your chances of getting STIs and HIV. Remember that unprotected sex means you are having sex with all the current and previous sexual partners of the person you are in bed with.

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