re: a delicate subject

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

How might I ask in Russian the following:

When you have sex, do you use protection?

If so, what kind?

If no, why not?

(Please - I am interested in only the most polite ways to ask this...)

Comments

[r-t.livejournal.com]

Вы пользуетесь средствами контрацепции во время полового акта?
Если да, то какими?
Если нет, то почему?

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

Спасибо.

[beowabbit]

The only problem with this is that it specifically asks about contraception, while the English original could apply to either contraception or disease. (Whether that matters depends on why red_kitti’s asking, I suppose.)

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

I'm interested in protection against disease... Thanks for asking.

[kutsuwamushi.livejournal.com]

Out of curiosity, what is this for? Some kind of survey?

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

I may have to actually ask this...

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

it will be kind of a survey in a way, yeah...:)

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

I guess it's much more common and friendly to say something like:

Вы предохраняетесь во время секса?
Если да, то как?
Если нет, то почему?

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

Thanks - I was hoping for several different ways to ask the same thing... And at the same time, not sound like a textbook or a total perv.

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

Acutally - on second thought, how do young people talk about sex?
If anyone actually answers this - please indicate what is the polite way and what is the way that young people talk... Спасибо.

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

You mean the answers, too?

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

Sure, why not? :)

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

Well, tell me what you want me to translate :)

[nekotjonok.livejournal.com]

I'd ask - Ты предохраняешься? Если да - как. Если нет - почему?

[nekotjonok.livejournal.com]

That one is polite but not very formal. I think that is the most common way to ask.

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

спасибо:)

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

Don't forget it's a survey. Not ты, but вы.

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

Thanks.

[ja-va.livejournal.com]

According to this (http://www.livejournal.com/community/learn_russian/291102.html?thread=4050718#t4050718) and this (http://www.livejournal.com/community/learn_russian/291102.html?thread=4050206#t4050206), it is "survey in a way", in which case "вы" is very odd way to address somebody :)

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

whether or not I use the informal or formal with people (I'll most likely use the informal form), is irrelevant - I just wanted to make sure that I was using the proper words... I'm afraid that I learned a lot of the dirty words in Russian (doesn't everyone when they learn a foreign language?) and I didn't want to sound like a fool when I spoke... Kind of like someone going up to a group of people and asking them in English:

"When you screw, do you use protection?" - While people will understand what you are asking, they might be offended or at the very least, it will make you come off as less than professional...

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

I disagree.
"Вы" has never been odd in official papers of any kind addressed to anyone you don't know.

[dair-spb.livejournal.com]

... and not "вы" but "Вы" :-)

[monarchistka.livejournal.com]

Both variants are quite polite and correct. I only would change the form of the most questions:
e.g. "Вы пользуетесь средствами контрацепции во время полового акта?" -> "Пользуетесь ли Вы средствами контрацепции во время полового акта?"
"Вы предохранятесь ...?" -> "Предохраняетесь ли Вы ...?"
You can write "Вы" or "вы". If you want to address each person по отдельности (what is the english for it?), you'd better choose "Вы". If it stands in some magazin for all readers, so "вы" is OK.
*
About this "down low". Do you know the expression фиктивный брак? There can be many reasons for such "formal"(?) marriage - so I would say "Он вступил в фиктивный брак" or "Он фиктивно женился" ", чтобы скрыть, что он - гомосексуалист" / ", чтобы скрыть свою нетрадиционную сексуальную ориентацию". :)

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

that's really interesting:)

[monarchistka.livejournal.com]

But there can be other, nonsexual reasons for such formal marriage as well: to be registered in Moscow for example or to get a larger flat from the state (in the former USSR) or to become citizen of another country.