Can you have safe sex without protection? Expert reveals facts about STIs

People often tell you to keep condoms in your purse, your partner’s wallet, or the nightstand. They have many benefits, and it doesn’t take long to open and use them before having sex. After dating or being married for a while, some couples think of ditching the condom. They are so secure in their relationship that they think of using another form of birth control if they don’t want a baby anytime soon. But condoms are not just about preventing pregnancy. They do so much more, which is why people wonder if it’s possible to have safe sex without protection, aka condoms.

Health Shots reached out to Dr Tanaya Narendra, aka Cuterus, a doctor and a sexual health educator, to know if we can have safe sex without protection.

Is safe sex without condoms possible?

Some people don’t like to use condoms, and they are always in a dilemma whether to ditch them or not and also be safe. Dr Narendra said that it’s not possible to have safe sex without protection. According to her, safe sex doesn’t mean sex that protects you from pregnancy.

She shared that it means having sex with protection from sexually transmitted infections (STIs). According to her, there is only one contraceptive in the world that is available to protect against STIs, and that is a condom. Additionally, she pointed out that the only way to have safe sex is to use a condom. It protects you from sexually transmitted infections by acting as a barrier between you and your partner’s genitals and the genitals’ fluids.

Sexually transmitted infections are increasing every day

It may seem safe to skip condoms with a long-term partner. Still, we can’t overlook the facts about sexually transmitted infections. So, we can’t take it lightly and decide to put condoms away.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than one million sexually transmitted infections are acquired every day across the globe. Every year, there are around 374 million new infections with one of four curable STIs such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis and syphilis. The infections even have a direct impact on sexual and reproductive health through infertility, stigmatisation, pregnancy complications and can increase the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Use condoms the right way when you have sex

Since you know the importance of condoms, make sure you use them the right way too. There are two types of condoms: external (male) and internal (female). The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using water-based or silicone-based lubricants to prevent condoms from breaking or slipping during sex. As they say, there is no such thing as safe sex if you don’t use a condom. Tell your partner to wrap it up before sex to avoid a clinic visit.