Guest blogger Sarah Mei Hughes talks about Safe Sex – ‘making hard things easy to deal with (OR) Condoms – it’s not hard!’ making the right choice keeps you safe.

Today’s media bombards us with sexual imagery, both implicit and explicit, innuendos and brazen statements. Look at the way that model drapes her body across that chair. Ooooh, that’s a short skirt! Is that another naked male torso in that magazine? It’s not our fault that we’re always thinking about sex, it’s hard not to when the media take advantage of the fact that sex sells. Some people bombard us with sex too. That is equally as hard to ignore.

But if you take up the offer, remember it isn’t hard to use protection. In the UK, the NHS offers free contraception and advice, should you need it. Or you could nip to a pharmacist and grab a packet of condoms.

Condoms are easy to use and one of the most effective protective methods against sexually transmitted diseases. Keep them in a cool place and make sure the packaging isn’t punctured. Check the expiration date in advance; before the time comes when you need to use it, otherwise it might mean you face more hassle than you had anticipated! Make sure you squeeze the top to get rid of the air bubble before you put it on and dispose of it in a bin (not a toilet) when you’ve finished. It might be worth having a spare handy, just in case there’s an opportunity for round two, or if the first is damaged.

It doesn’t require a lot of effort to make sure that there is always a condom in your handbag or wallet. Or perhaps, visiting your GP or a sexual health nurse and getting a few months worth of contraceptives can make the matter less of a worry for the time-being.

It’s not hard. Especially if you’ve sorted all of that before it does get hard.