Topic: Unprotected Sex
Description
Sometimes people feel that having unprotected sex enhances their experience of intimacy with their partner. While this may be the case, unprotected sex can involve risks. These include unintended pregnancies, and the transmission of sexually transmissible infections (STIs).
Do's
Before deciding to have unprotected sex, it is recommended that couples have a sexual health check, consider pregnancy and birth control issues and discuss issues relating to monogamy in the relationship. Sometimes couples who choose to have partners outside the relationship agree upon rules, such as always using a condom when they have a sexual partner outside the relationship, or avoiding penetrative sex with the other partner.
The best way to avoid these risks is to practice safe sex with your partner or maintain a planned monogamous relationship.
Helpful Hints
If you have had unprotected sex:
- you may have been exposed to a STI and may require a sexual health check. Sexual health checks can be done by your local general practitioner or at a sexual health clinic. Results for most STI screening tests take approximately one week (sometimes longer) to come back. If you and your partner intend to have unprotected sex after your check up, you really need to make sure your results are conclusive. For example, you may need to repeat the test at a later date to cover the ‘window period’ (the period of time an STI may show up on a test). This is the case for HIV tests where it can take up to three months for someone to develop the antibodies found in the HIV blood tests. So, even if you have a negative HIV test, if you have had any risks (eg. unprotected sex or injecting drug use) during the previous three months, you will need have a repeat HIV screening test three months after your last ‘risk’.
- If you think you’ve got a STI, it is important for you to go to your local doctor, family planning or sexual health clinic for assessment and treatment.
- If you are concerned about an unintended pregnancy, you should discuss emergency contraception with your family planning, sexual health clinic or local doctor. There are a few types of emergency contraception available, but you will need to start your treatment within 72 hours of unprotected sex. Taken within 12 hours of unprotected sex, treatment is known to be more effective.
- If you have reasons for believing you have been recently exposed to HIV/AIDS, you may be eligible for post exposure prophylaxis. HIV post exposure prophylaxis can cause side effects such as nausea and vomiting and requires taking multiple tablets several times each day for one month. Also, any long-term effects of such strong medications on healthy individuals are simple not known yet. Post exposure prophylaxis is definitely not a "morning after pill" nor can it be considered as an option to avoid safe sex. If you have genuine concerns that you may have been exposed to HIV (eg. if you have had unprotected sex with someone that you know has HIV), you should contact your sexual health clinic, local doctor or nearest hospital within 72 hours if at all possible.
Practical Advice
If you are worried about having unprotected sex or want more information, you can talk to:
- your local doctor
- your local sexual health clinic (your nearest public hospital can give you the phone) number of the nearest sexual health clinic
- your local family planning clinic.
Other Resources
Queensland Health - Sexual Health website
Related Content
Post-exposure prophylaxis – HIV fact sheet
Post-exposure prophylaxis – Hepatitis B fact sheet
Emergency Contraception fact sheet
Last updated: 5th August, 2008
Review Date: 14th November, 2006
