Being responsible about sex by doing things that reduce your chances of getting or spreading a sexually transmitted disease or becoming (or getting a girl) pregnant. Usually, this means educating oneself about STDs and pregnancy, using latex barriers like condoms and dental dams, limiting the number of partners a person has, and getting tested for STDs on a regular basis.

When someone says they practice "safer sex" they recognize that no sex is completely “safe” or risk-free, but that there are effective ways to reduce these risks.