Three sexual health topics to talk about with your partner

Sex is an important and typically enjoyable part of any loving, adult relationship, but conversations around sexual health can sometimes be difficult. To maintain a healthy, fulfilling relationship, open communication is key. While the following topics may feel a little awkward to discuss at first, they are crucial to building trust, intimacy, and mutual understanding between you and your partner.

By approaching these important conversations with care, you can create a space for honesty and respect that will only bring you closer and lead to even more fun in the bedroom. Here, we explore some key sexual health topics you should discuss with your other half. 

Sexual history

Though many people would rather not think about their loved one being in bed with someone else, being open about your sexual history is vital for both partners’ health and wellbeing. Most importantly, you should both share your history with STI testing and your results, including any relevant medical history around treatment. 

Naturally, this conversation can feel uncomfortable, so approaching it with honesty and without judgment is key for both you and your partner to feel safe and informed. Ideally, you should discuss this before sleeping with each other, but it's well worth having this conversation even if that has already occurred.

Birth control

If either you or your partner are female, contraception should be a shared responsibility. It’s important to align on a method that works best for both of you, so discussing birth control options should be a top priority. You can explore your understanding and preferences on different methods, such as condoms, pills, or IUDs, and work together to find the one most suitable for your relationship.

This conversation also opens the door to the topic of when either of you is hoping to start a family, which is something you should work to align on to avoid any issues later down the road.

Boundaries and consent

Clear communication around personal boundaries is essential to ensure you feel safe and respected in your relationship. Consent should always be mutual, and both of you should feel that you trust the other to stop the moment you become less than enthusiastic about your willingness to continue any sexual activity.

You can approach this conversation by asking your partner about their comfort zones when it comes to intimacy, and share both of your likes, dislikes, and limits openly and without any judgment. Establishing a safe word for exploring new experiences is a tactic that works well for many couples, but the most important thing is to create a safe space where you both feel empowered and have a deeper sense of trust.

Check in regularly

All relationships evolve over time, and so do our sexual needs. Regularly revisiting these topics with your partner helps you to stay aligned and aware of any changes to preferences, boundaries, or health concerns. By allowing sexual health to be an ongoing dialogue, you’ll nurture a mature relationship built on trust, love, mutual care and respectful intimacy.