24 - Wednesday, January 6, 1988 - North Shore News Lifestyles AVOIDING DISEASE, UNWANTED PREGNANCY Q. YOUR READERS are certainly sexually inexperienced if they believe that condoms make for good sex. Every expe- rienced person knows that intercourse is more enjoyable without them. A. My readers have all kinds of experience as a group, but lots of them probably have less experience than you and know a lot morc. People who expericnce sexual in- tercourse without condoms are also likely to experience unwanted pregnancy and/or diseases that are passed along during intercourse. Experience isn’t always good for people. You may be proud of your experience but it is irresponsible and dangerous. But, stupid as you seem to have been, and | hope for your sake you get smart soon, you really are part- ly right. (Who isn’t?) From what men have told me, there definitely is some loss of sensation from us- ing a condom, But for an experi- enced man the loss of sensation is not critical. It is more likely the inexperienced or performance- worried man who finds condoms difficult to cope with. . Furthermore, there are things in the mind that make or ruin sexual encounters, and these are of more importance than that small loss of sensation. The fear of an un. wanted pregnancy, the fear of recklessly risking exposure to sex- ually transmitted disease — especially in the present AIDS _ health crisis — wili do far more harm to sexual pleasure than that thin latex film will. Using the condom is much easier for couples who are used to each other and give cach other trust and Jazz lt Up Sunday! January 10th Public Swims Public Skates Live Music “rec with the family" Novth Vancouver Recreation Commission understanding. In fact, in relation- ships like that, sex is better all around. Couples who have been together a good while, who respect each other's feelings about avoiding pregnancy or getting pregnant, who are conscious of avoiding sexual transmission of disease, can adjust to many re- quirements governing sexual behavior. A couple like that, in a longstanding relationship, is not restricted to using condoms. The woman can, on the advice of a doctor, use another method of contraception, She may elect to use a diaphragm, and then the couple can use the diaphragm one month and condoms the next, if that suits them. Or the woman may be ad- vised to use a contraceptive pill, and then condoms will be unneces- sary — once the initial] medicating period is past! Be sure your doctor explains that part to you. There is a lot of resistance to us- Introduces NEW CENTRAL @gtee VACUUM SYSTEM it sex responsibly ing the condom by young people who need to use it most. For thou- sands of them this has been disastrous. This resistance to con- doms is most common among young people who are badly prepared for life in a demanding world, Instead of Icarning things that give them some control over their lives, like how to do a job and how to use a condom, they are getting pregnant. Think of this — whenever a girl or woman got pregnant and didn’t want to, she probably could have avoided it if the man had worn a condom and used it properly. 34x58 a Single Prints mere FREE Double Prints (2-3'x5) § or Double Size (5x7) with this coupon tf you prefer, double prints 527 cost you only $3.08 more. CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS? 5x7 color enlargements for as low as : 21 ¢ per picture including film YAY Win” 7 track set + each wee LIGHTOLIER ON SPECIAL! HOVIKG PROJECTORS ON TRACK