Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Unprotected sex
Introduction
Unprotected sex refers to any act of sexual intercourse in which the participants use no form of barrier contraception.
Sexually transmitted infections
Sexually transmitted infections
Specifically, unprotected sex usually refers to sexual activity in which the participants use no form of protection from sexually transmitted infections. It can thus be contrasted with “safe sex“.
Advocates of the practice believe that sustained direct friction between skin and mucous membranes, and commingling of fluids, results in increased stimulation, fuller intimacy, and more powerful orgasms for all participants.
Birth control
Birth control
Less commonly, unprotected sex is used to refer to sexual intercourse without the use of any form of contraception. The two meanings are different because there are forms of birth control that do not involve barrier protection such as hormonal contraception. This meaning is commonly used in discussions of fertility awareness, where couples avoiding pregnancy can identify infertile portions of the menstrual cycle where unprotected sex carries a very low risk of pregnancy.[1]
Footnotes
Footnotes
- ↑ “Fertility Awareness-Based Methods”. Planned Parenthood. 2005-02-01. Retrieved 2007-05-24. Check date values in:
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Lamprecht, Virginia (Fall 1996). “Opinion: Fertility Awareness and Natural Family Planning”. Network. Family Health International. 17 (1). Retrieved 2007-05-24.