"Safe Sex" - a Misnomer

I keep hearing the phrase "safe sex" thrown around. A lot of newspapers, Hollywood, even some schools tell us that we should make sure we have "safe" sex. I really wonder what they mean by that, because I didn't know having sex was such a dangerous thing!

You get married, you have sex, and you have children, right? What's so dangerous about that? Why do organizations like Planned Parenthood have to protect people from a completely natural and holy act of marriage?

The organizations that throw around the phrase "safe sex" want you to believe that having sex without adding in their products (condoms, the pill, etc.) is a bad thing. In fact, it would seem that they don't like the idea of 'natural' sex at all! But I say that "safe sex" itself is a misnomer ("a wrong or innacurate use of a name or term").

When Planned Parenthood says they want to make sure you're having "safe sex," they're usually implying that you're having sex outside of marriage. But, if you are truly thinking of marrying a person, the "safe sex" Planned Parenthood advocates is probably one of the most dangerous things you can do to your relationship! There are many reports on the negative effects cohabitation and premarital sex have on couple's relationships (especially concerning married life), but this is not the only reason why "safe sex" is wrong.

Safe sex, in truth, is sex inside of marriage. Safe sex is sex that allows a man and a woman to love each other in the best possible way, without putting any barriers between them. Safe sex is sex that allows God to work through our bodies!

There is a reason the Church teaches us to wait until we're married to have intercourse, and to always be open to the possibility of having a child when doing so. There is nothing more satisfying than giving oneself over to another fully and completely, with no reservations and no barriers (physical or otherwise!). You simply cannot do that without committing yourself to another person totally through Marriage. (And, on another level, through consecration as a nun or a priest).

I will refer you to the Reap Team's article, "What could really go wrong with sex outside of marriage?" for more information. The Reap Team's website is an excellent resource for many questions about chastity and sexual relationships.