Having unprotected sex is risky. When you do not use any type of birth control, you may end up with an unplanned pregnancy. If you do not know your partner’s history and do not use a condom, you may end up with a sexually transmitted disease. While some diseases are treatable and curable, others are not.
Definition
When you have vaginal or anal intercourse and do not use anything to prevent your bodily fluids from entering your partner or your partner’s bodily fluids from entering you, you are having unprotected sex. To have safe or safer sex, you need to use a male or female condom, which forms a barrier between you and your partner. Oral sex can also be unprotected if you do not use a barrier or dental dam.
Risk of Disease
Having unprotected sex can cause you to get an infection from your partner. If you have vaginal or anal intercourse without a condom with a person who has HIV, the risk of you contracting HIV is high. You are also risk contracting gonorrhea, herpes, chlamydia and many other STDs if you have unprotected intercourse, according to Planned Parenthood. Diseases, such as gonorrhea and syphilis, can be transmitted via unprotected oral sex as well. Some STDs, such as herpes and scabies, can be passed on through skin-to-skin contact, even if you and your partner do not have sex.
Risk of Pregnancy
Your chances of becoming pregnant increase if you have unprotected sex, even if you have sex while you are having your period. According to Planned Parenthood, the risk of pregnancy drops to 15 out of 100 if you use a barrier method, such as male or female condom, when having vaginal intercourse. The risk of pregnancy drops to 2 out of 100 if you use a hormonal birth control method, such as the birth control pill. If you do have unprotected sex and do not want to become pregnant, you may choose to take an emergency contraceptive pill up to three days after you had sex.
Prevention/Solution
You should have unprotected sex only if you know for certain that your partner is completely disease-free and if your goal is to become pregnant. If you are unsure about your partner’s status or do not want to become pregnant, always use a condom when having sex to reduce your risk of pregnancy or contracting an STD. You may want to combine the use of either a male or female condom with a hormonal birth control method to reduce your risk of pregnancy even more.
Misconceptions
Sometimes people think that having unprotected sex is a way to prove that they really love their partner or is the only way to experience true intimacy while having sex. You should never feel pressured to have unprotected sex as a way to prove that you love someone.
Another common myth is that you cannot become pregnant the first time you have sex or that you can only become pregnant or get a disease if your partner ejaculates inside you. Even if your partner pulls out before ejaculating, there is a risk that he released pre-ejaculate, which contains sperm and can make you pregnant or pass on a disease.
Photo Credit
- Two condoms in pocket image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com
