Prevention Options for Safer Sex: Condoms, PrEP, DoxyPEP & More

Safer sex isn't one thing — it's a mix-and-match menu. Staying healthy is about being intentional, balancing risks, and making informed decisions about how to reduce them. There are ways to prevent many STIs and lower the risk of others, and what you choose comes down to you, your partners, and your priorities. Here's a clear guide to the options available.

We make risk decisions every day. Getting public transport carries a small risk of catching a cold, so we wash our hands — and if someone does get ill, we don't judge them for it. STIs are no different from any other common infection; the one thing that sets them apart is stigma. The only way to avoid every STI entirely is to not have sex at all, which for most people isn't realistic or desirable. So let's talk about what actually helps.

Choosing lower-risk types of sex

Different kinds of sex carry different levels of risk for passing on or picking up STIs. One way to reduce risk is simply to choose activities you're comfortable with. Anal and vaginal sex carry the highest risk for HIV and STI transmission when no prevention tools are used, but there are lower-risk ways to play:

• Oral sex can transmit many STIs but is much lower risk for HIV — especially for the receiving partner. The risk when giving oral sex is small and depends on specific circumstances.
• Mutual masturbation carries no real risk for HIV or STI transmission — unless bodily fluids (semen, vaginal fluid, or blood) are moved from one person and put inside another.
• Toys carry no risk when used by one person. If you're sharing them, cover them with a condom, swap the condom between partners, and wash toys thoroughly after use.

Barrier methods

Barriers are products — usually latex — that sit between you and a partner's genitals, blocking the fluids (semen, anal fluid, vaginal fluid) that can carry HIV and STIs.

Condoms

Condoms are the most common barrier: a latex sheath worn over a penis or toy, usable for oral, anal, or vaginal sex. Non-latex versions exist for allergies (but lambskin condoms prevent pregnancy only, not STIs). A few essentials:

• Use them the entire time you're having penetrative sex — not just before ejaculating.
• Use a fresh one when switching partners, and when switching between anal and vaginal sex. An easy rule: new body part, new condom.
• Stick to water-based or silicone-based lube — oil-based lube can damage latex condoms and dental dams.

Condoms are very effective against HIV and fluid-borne STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis. They're less effective against HPV (which can cause genital warts) and herpes, which can pass via skin the condom doesn't cover. Internal condoms (worn inside the vagina or anus) follow the same principles — worn throughout, replaced between partners.

Dental dams

Dental dams are small latex sheets placed over the genitals or anus as a barrier for oral sex. A little water- or silicone-based lube underneath can increase sensation. Dams help prevent bacterial STIs and infections that can pass through oral-anal play (rimming), and can reduce herpes transmission from mouth to genitals.

Gloves

Some people use latex gloves for fingering or fisting — particularly with cuts, hangnails, fresh tattoos, or a skin condition that could raise the risk of transmission. The same rules apply: change gloves between partners or between anal and vaginal penetration, and use compatible lube.

HIV PrEP

PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is medication that HIV-negative people can take to prevent HIV. Anyone can take it, whatever their gender or body, and it works for all types of sex — when taken as prescribed it's almost 100% effective. It's most commonly a once-a-day pill, and there are now long-acting injectable forms in some countries. To learn more, PrEPster is a good UK hub for PrEP information.

HIV treatment and U=U

If someone is living with HIV, effective treatment can suppress the virus so much that it's undetectable on a standard test. When someone is undetectable, they can't transmit HIV through sex — that's zero risk, not just low risk. This is known as U=U: Undetectable = Untransmittable. Terrence Higgins Trust has clear guides on viral load and U=U.

DoxyPEP

DoxyPEP (Doxycycline Post-Exposure Prophylaxis) means taking a single dose of the antibiotic doxycycline after sex to reduce the risk of bacterial STIs. It's very effective against chlamydia and syphilis and offers some protection against gonorrhoea. It should be taken within 72 hours of sex — the sooner the better — and works best alongside regular testing, since it isn't 100%.

STI testing

Prevention tools reduce risk, but none eliminate it entirely — and because some STIs have no symptoms, testing is the only way to actually know your status. Whatever tools you use, regular testing is a great habit. How often is right for you depends on your current situation and can change over time, so check in with yourself and your partners. Our myths vs facts guide clears up some common confusion about what testing does and doesn't tell you.

Communication is prevention too

It's easy to think of prevention as only condoms and medication, but talking openly is just as much a part of it. Agreeing on what protection you'll use, sharing when you were last tested, and being honest about your status all help everyone make informed choices — which is the whole point of safer sex. If you need a hand starting that conversation, our guide on how to tell a partner about STI testing keeps it calm and simple.

The awkward part is often proving your status without oversharing — and that's where Zults fits into the toolkit. Zults turns the STI results you already have into a verified, shareable Rezults card: a partner can trust it's genuinely yours and current, you can hide your legal name while still proving it's you, and you can revoke access at any time. It's a calmer, more trustworthy alternative to a screenshot, and it makes the "where are we both at?" conversation a quick, confident moment. If you want to compare sharing methods, see how to share STI results with a partner.

The bottom line

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to safer sex. Barrier methods, PrEP, DoxyPEP, U=U, testing, and open communication are all tools you can combine to match your body, your partners, and your comfort. Mix and match for the best sex with the least risk — and lead with care, not shame.

Educational information only — not medical advice. Prevention options, effectiveness, and availability vary by person and country; for advice tailored to you, speak to a qualified clinician or your local sexual health service. We use certain terms for body parts and acts for clarity — use whichever words feel right for you.