7 Safe Sex Hacks You Need To Know About

We all know how important it is to practice safe sex. After all, in the case of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy, it's better to be safe than sorry. In a perfect world, you'd be prepared enough that you wouldn't let a birth control pill slip through the cracks — or get caught up in the heat of the moment, only to discover that you don't have a condom.

But we know that, sometimes, this is easier said than done — after all, according to a recent study from the Urban Institute, many of us are still misinformed about birth control. As the study pointed out, even though most of us know about oral birth control pills and condoms, nearly a third of women reported not knowing much about IUDs and implants.

So we went to Colleen Krajewski, MD, MPH, and medical advisor to Bedsider, for some safe sex hacks to make your life a little easier. First things first: Dr. Krajewski recommends exercising caution and consulting a doctor to decide what methods will work for you.

"No one should do any of this stuff without talking to their doctor," she tells Refinery29. "There’s different medical conditions and [these methods] don’t apply to every person."

With that in mind, click ahead for a few tips on making it a little easier to practice safe sex. Whether you want to be a bit more prepared, or you want to make it easier to remember to take your birth control, we're here to help.