Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsKnow the RisksWhat to Do After Unprotected SexPregnancy FactsWatch for Signs of STIsAn Inclusive Guide to Safer Sex
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Know the Risks
What to Do After Unprotected Sex
Pregnancy Facts
Watch for Signs of STIs
An Inclusive Guide to Safer Sex
Unprotected sex (also referred to as condomless sex) is defined as sexual intercourse without a condom. It also refers to when the condom fails (it tears or slips). Condomless sex increases the risk of unwanted pregnancy andsexually transmitted infections (STIs).
This article will discuss what to do if you’ve had condomless sex, and how to have safer sex in the future.
Elizabeth Fernandez / Getty Images
What Are the Risks of Condomless Sex?
Condomless sex may lead to an unwanted pregnancy or an STI, which can have long-term adverse effects on your health.
Pregnancy
If you’re not using condoms, takingbirth control pills, or using other types of contraception, you run the risk of an unwanted pregnancy. Never rely on the timing of yourmenstrual cycle, sexual position, orwithdrawal method. Without any type of contraception, you increase the odds of getting pregnant.
In one year, 85 out of 100 people not using any type of contraception, including condoms, will become pregnant.
STIs
Sexually transmitted infections are passed from person to person through sexual contact. There are more than 30 bacteria, viruses, and parasites known to be sexually transmitted.Some STIs include:
Unprotected sex due to birth control failure can cause a great deal of stress. Proceed with these steps if you had unprotected sex.
Breathe, Then Make a Plan
Before panic sets in, take a big breath and don’t assume the worst-case scenario. Call your healthcare provider and tell them that you had condomless sex and ask what steps you need to follow.
Emergency Contraception
If you had unprotected sex, you have two options to prevent pregnancy. CertainIUDsinserted within a 120-hour time frame (five days) after condomless sex are considered the most effective.
The emergency contraception pill or themorning-after pillis also an option. There are two types of morning-after pills:
Where to Go
If you need any guidance, call your healthcare provider or gynecologist. They will either fit you for an IUD, prescribe Ella, or suggest one of the over-the-counter emergency contraceptive pills. If you don’t have a healthcare provider, go to your local Planned Parenthood or urgent care center.
When to Take a Pregnancy Test
You can take a homepregnancy testthat is available for purchase at your local drugstore after you’ve missed your period. Waiting one week after a missed period will usually give a more accurate result. You can also get a blood test done about six to eight days afterovulation.
Some tests can tell you if you’re pregnant before you’ve missed a period. If you’ve had condomless sex and do not want to be pregnant, your best option is to either have an IUD inserted or take a morning-after pill as soon as possible.
Getting STI Testing
You should get tested within three to five days for STIs. It takes a few days to a few weeks for STIs like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis to show up on a test, while it can take three months for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to be positive, so testing may need to be done more than once.
You can get tested for STIs at your healthcare provider’s office, a community health clinic, the public health department, or a local Planned Parenthood health center.
Testing for STIs may include blood, urine, or swab tests depending on the infections being tested.Results usually come back within one day or up to several days later.
Conception can occur anytime during your cycle. However, some misconceptions include that you can’t get pregnant if your cycle is irregular, if you have your period, or if your cycle just ended. Most of this depends on the timing of your ovulation.
On average, women have a cycle between 28 and 30 days, while some may have shorter cycles (21 to 24 days) and ovulate earlier in their cycle.To determine your ovulating time, there are ovulation tests that you can purchase at a local pharmacy. However, if you are not trying to get pregnant, use contraception.
There’s a Fertile Window
The fertility window generally falls between days 11 and 21 of the cycle. For example, if your period lasts five to seven days and you have sex, you’re approaching your fertility window. You can still get pregnant because sperm can live up to five days.
An Irregular Cycles Make It Harder to Track
If your cycle is irregular from month to month, the chances of estimating your fertility window will be harder to track. The risk of an unwanted pregnancy is greater and it’s advised to use contraception throughout your cycle, even when you have your period.
Depending on the type of STI, you may be exposed to during sex, symptoms can appear within a few days or weeks. However, some may not appear for several months or even years, and some STIs may be asymptomatic.
Symptoms to watch for include:
If you experience any of these symptoms, see your healthcare provider for a diagnosis and treatment.
Safer sex guidelines are important for everyone, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals. Ways to stay healthy include safer sex practices, contraception options, and medications available to treat STIs.
Find Ways to Have Safer Condomless Sex
There are several ways to approach safer sex:
Use Contraception Options
There are a number of contraception options for genders who were biologically assigned female at birth and want to avoid pregnancy. These include:
Barrier methods like condoms and dental dams should always be used to minimize STIs and as a backup.
Discuss Unwillingness to Wear Condoms
Communication is key to great sex and relationships, which includes an open discussion about contraception. If your partner is hesitant to wear a condom, either external or internal, you can suggest ways to make the use of condoms fun and pleasurable.
If your partner insists on not wearing one, even after you’ve explained how you feel about having condomless sex, clearly state your discomfort and why you want to keep both of you safe. If your partner still refuses, this is a red flag of a potentially unhealthy relationship.
Clean Your Sex Toys
Sex toys can be a fun addition to your sexual activity and they are safe as long as you keep them clean. If you’re using vibrators, always cover them with a condom, and don’t forget to always clean them between uses on different parts of the body (mouth, vagina, and anus). Not cleaning your sex toys increases the risk of transmitting STIs, such as chlamydia, syphilis, and herpes.
Get Regular STI Screening
Anyone who is sexually active should be screened regularly for STIs. Getting screened for STIs can provide a diagnosis if you are infected and lead to proper treatment. Some STIs, when caught early, can be easily treated; others can worsen with time and are difficult to treat, leading to many health issues. STI screenings are an integral part of your overall health that will keep you and your current or future partners safe and healthy.
Summary
Condomless sex is having intercourse without contraception, which can increase your chance of pregnancy and STIs. It’s important not to rely on the timing of your menstrual cycle to avoid birth control because sperm can live up to five days.
After unprotected sex, don’t assume you haven’t been infected with an STI because you don’t have symptoms. Some infections can be asymptomatic or take up to five days for symptoms to surface, while others can take several months or years to appear. Make it a habit to be screened regularly if you are sexually active.
A Word From Verywell
—RENITA WHITE, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexual risk behaviors.Planned Parenthood.What are the chances of getting pregnant if we’re not using birth control?World Health Organization.Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).Yah CS, Simate GS, Hlangothi P, Somai BM.Nanotechnology and the future of condoms in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections.Annals of African Medicine. 2018;17(2):49. doi:10.4103/aam.aam_32_17Planned Parenthood.Which kind of emergency contraception should I use?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Knowing if you are pregnant.Planned Parenthood.How long should I wait after unprotected sex to get tested for STDs?Medline Plus.STD Tests.American Pregnancy Association.Can you get pregnant on your period?Medline Plus.Sexually transmitted diseases.Better Health.Safe sex.Center for Young Women’s Health.LGBTQ: contraception.NHS.Sex activities and risk.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexual risk behaviors.Planned Parenthood.What are the chances of getting pregnant if we’re not using birth control?World Health Organization.Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).Yah CS, Simate GS, Hlangothi P, Somai BM.Nanotechnology and the future of condoms in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections.Annals of African Medicine. 2018;17(2):49. doi:10.4103/aam.aam_32_17Planned Parenthood.Which kind of emergency contraception should I use?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Knowing if you are pregnant.Planned Parenthood.How long should I wait after unprotected sex to get tested for STDs?Medline Plus.STD Tests.American Pregnancy Association.Can you get pregnant on your period?Medline Plus.Sexually transmitted diseases.Better Health.Safe sex.Center for Young Women’s Health.LGBTQ: contraception.NHS.Sex activities and risk.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexual risk behaviors.Planned Parenthood.What are the chances of getting pregnant if we’re not using birth control?World Health Organization.Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).Yah CS, Simate GS, Hlangothi P, Somai BM.Nanotechnology and the future of condoms in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections.Annals of African Medicine. 2018;17(2):49. doi:10.4103/aam.aam_32_17Planned Parenthood.Which kind of emergency contraception should I use?U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Knowing if you are pregnant.Planned Parenthood.How long should I wait after unprotected sex to get tested for STDs?Medline Plus.STD Tests.American Pregnancy Association.Can you get pregnant on your period?Medline Plus.Sexually transmitted diseases.Better Health.Safe sex.Center for Young Women’s Health.LGBTQ: contraception.NHS.Sex activities and risk.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sexual risk behaviors.
Planned Parenthood.What are the chances of getting pregnant if we’re not using birth control?
World Health Organization.Sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
Yah CS, Simate GS, Hlangothi P, Somai BM.Nanotechnology and the future of condoms in the prevention of sexually transmitted infections.Annals of African Medicine. 2018;17(2):49. doi:10.4103/aam.aam_32_17
Planned Parenthood.Which kind of emergency contraception should I use?
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Knowing if you are pregnant.
Planned Parenthood.How long should I wait after unprotected sex to get tested for STDs?
Medline Plus.STD Tests.
American Pregnancy Association.Can you get pregnant on your period?
Medline Plus.Sexually transmitted diseases.
Better Health.Safe sex.
Center for Young Women’s Health.LGBTQ: contraception.
NHS.Sex activities and risk.
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