What to Bring on Your Next Fling

Here's a riddle: What do Valentine's Day and condoms have in common?

Both have dedicated February 14 holidays. It makes sense. What better time than Valentine's Day to remember that love and romance also involve protecting the sexual health of both partners with National Condom Day?

"For those who are having sex, unless both partners are 100 percent certain that they're free of infection, condoms are essential," says Linda Alexander, president of the American Social Health Association.

Even for experienced daters, exploring this issue can be awkward. "Condom use is not an option, it's a necessity," says Los Angeles therapist Shari Foos. "Insisting on condom use protects your life; it's the ultimate in self-assertiveness."

For those who can't bear to talk about condoms, "actions speak louder than words," says University of California at Santa Cruz sex educator and author Susie Bright. Always carry condoms with you on dates, and leave a condom in plain sight by your bed, says Bright.

"Some women are embarrassed to be seen as someone who wants sex in the first place," says Bright, author of Full Exposure: Opening Up to Sexual Creativity and Erotic Expression (Harper San Francisco). Ladies, "When you do the 'let me freshen up' number and go to the bathroom or disrobe, present a condom.

"When a man is looking forward to being intimate with you, his eagerness is not likely to be deterred by a condom," Bright adds. "Men know why you're asking for protection; it's virtually expected."

There are hundreds of condoms on the market, but the male latex condom is considered the most effective in preventing transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, according to the ASHA. The female condom, which is made of polyurethane plastic, is also considered effective for STD prevention. Bright says it feels "like using a diaphragm with a baggie attached."

Condom.com offers an extensive selection of latex condoms and water-based lubricants. And you can get festive red and white Valentine's Day condoms that are packaged to look like lollipops.

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Want more spice in your love life? Try sexual variety.