Who is responsible for carrying condoms? Who is responsible for birth control in the relationship? If you’re a woman in a relationship with a guy, this may have been something that you’ve wondered.

The short answer on who is responsible for preventing pregnancy, choma is: both of you! You and your partner should actually be making active decisions to prevent pregnancy AND sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. Yes, the pill on its own is an effective method to prevent pregnancy (when used correctly, the pill is up to 99.99% effective) but dual protection (the condom and the pill) actually ensures that you prevent unplanned pregnancy and most importantly, unwanted STIs.

You or your partner might think it’s okay to relax if you’re on the pill, leaving condoms  out completely, but it’s still a good idea to consider both choma. If it so happens that you don’t take the pill correctly, at least the condom can be used as backup because it can still help prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

Safe sex is everyone’s personal responsibility

It shouldn’t be a question about who is more responsible for the prevention of pregnancy and STIs in a relationship because ultimately, both people are. Just because you’re the one taking a certain type of birth control, it doesn’t mean that your partner doesn’t have to think about protection; because you both need to protect one another. If he understands that the pill might not be effective if not used correctly or that you had to stop using it because of the side effects, he would then make sure he always has condoms. On the other hand, just because your partner is the one who wears the condom, doesn’t mean that he has to be the only one carrying one. You can also share the responsibility of carrying condoms, and, in fact, the responsibility of wearing one. If you don’t know already choma, the female condom is actually just as safe to use as the male condom. Just remember that only one condom should be used during sex, either one male condom or one female condom – never wear two condoms at once!

At the end of the day, if you’re sharing the responsibility it’s easier to ensure that you engage in safe, responsible sex with your partner. Remember choma that you are  responsible for keeping yourself and your partner protected during sex.

Make the right choice for yourself

Do a bit of research to find out about your contraception options. Speak to a healthcare provider about what would work best for you. You could then use the contraceptive that best suits you along with either the male or female condom. Essentially choma, if you want the most effective protection from HIV, unplanned pregnancy and from STIs, then dual protection (contraception and condom) is the way to go.

You could decide that you actually don’t want to use hormonal contraceptives and would rather exclusively use a condom. In that case speak to your partner about it to ensure that you are both on the same page about using protection (as in, making sure you both carry condoms).

When you ultimately make the choice choma, just make sure that you’ve thought about it carefully and that you have sound information to help you make a wise decision. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. In this case, a healthcare provider would be the best equipped to give you the right information. Having the best information will help you decide what’s best for you and what you feel most comfortable with.

Do you have any questions to Ask Choma, what about a story you’d like to share? Whatever it is choma, I’m always here to listen and assist.