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?

[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]

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.

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

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

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

Спасибо.

[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]

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?

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

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

[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]

Thanks.

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm sure this one just fits for a friendly-but-polite kind of survey.

[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 :)

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

How about this:

Думаешь ты иногда о СПИДа? (Do you ever think about AIDS?)

Что ты знаешь о СПИДа?

Do you know how HIV/AIDS is spread?

Are you afraid of getting HIV/AIDS?

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

(This has nothing to do with sex, but I'll ask anyway...):

Do you know anyone who uses intravenous drugs?

Do you know that sharing needles with other people can put you at risk for HIV/AIDS infection?

[red-kitti.livejournal.com]

Oh! I have another one... Do you have anything equivalent to the phrase "being on the down low"? (It means a guy who is married to a woman and identifies as heterosexual, but has sex with other men in secret, on the down low.)

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

Wow. I don't think we have a colloquial word for such a thing. See, the gay theme in general has been tabooed in Russian public speech until recent times. Not that we didn't have it, though... There may be smth for that in some criminal slang, but I'm not sure.

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

Hmm... What's the age of your applicants?
If they're older than 15-16, you'd better use the plural "вы", not "ты". Otherwise they would feel they are treated like garbage.

Вы когда-нибудь задумываетесь о СПИДе?
Что вы знаете о СПИДе?
Вам известно, как распространяется ВИЧ/СПИД?
Вы боитесь заразиться СПИДом?

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

Вы знаете кого-нибудь, кто принимает наркотики внутривенно? (or, more colloquial: кто колет себе наркотики?)

Вам известно, что, пользуясь чужими иглами, вы рискуете заразиться СПИДом?

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

I mean, you'd have to explain the whole situation, 'cos there is no term for this.
Give me the question, and I'll try to make it sound as short and simple as I can.

[virtualsushi.livejournal.com]

The first one, if you want even more colloquial:
Ты знаешь ребят, которые колются?