How many women have sex without a condom?

The best national figures come from Natsal-3, a survey of more than 15,000 people in Britain carried out between 2010 and 2012. It found that, in the past year:

• about 2 in 3 women aged 16 to 74 had sex without a condom with at least one partner, usually just one
• 5% had sex without a condom with two or more partners
• 4% had what the survey called unsafe sex: two or more new partners and no condom use

For most women, sex without a condom is with one partner. Younger women were more likely to have more than one partner without a condom: 14% of women aged 16 to 24, compared with 2% of those aged 45 to 54.

The latest survey, Natsal-4, is due to publish its first results at the end of November 2026.

Research points to a few common reasons:

• a relationship becomes longer term: condom use tends to fall as relationships go on, while use of the pill and other hormonal methods rises
• alcohol: in Natsal-3, women aged 16 to 44 who binge drank every week were more likely not to use condoms, and studies show drinking makes people more willing to have sex without one
• the heat of the moment, when stopping to find a condom feels difficult
• pressure from a partner: the World Health Organization says gender inequality in relationships is a major barrier to condom use

You can’t tell if someone has an STI by looking at them. Many STIs have no symptoms, so trusting that a partner is clear isn’t the same as knowing. Read more in “Why are young people no longer using condoms?”

No. The pill, the coil, the implant and the injection are very good at preventing pregnancy, but none of them stops you getting or passing on STIs.

Condoms are the only contraception that protects against both pregnancy and STIs. External condoms are up to 98% effective at preventing pregnancy when used correctly, and 82% effective with typical use. Internal condoms, which go inside the vagina, also help protect against STIs when used correctly.

Condoms don’t cover all the skin around the genitals, so they protect less well against infections passed on through skin contact, such as Herpes and HPV. Read more in “Can you still get an STI if you wear a condom?”

You can still get pregnant during the perimenopause, so you need contraception until after your periods stop. The NHS says to keep using it for 2 years after your last period if you’re 40 to 49, and for 1 year if you’re 50 or over.

You can catch an STI at any age. If you’re having sex with a new partner, condoms protect you in the same way at 45 as at 25, and testing before you stop using them is just as important.

A few things make it more likely you’ll use a condom:

• talk about condoms before sex, not in the middle of it
• keep condoms with you, so you’re not caught without one
• check the packet for a CE or UKCA mark
• use a water-based or silicone-based lubricant with latex condoms, not an oil-based one

Talking about condoms before sex makes you much more likely to use them. If a partner makes a big deal of it, it’s worth asking whether that’s someone you want to have sex with. You should never feel pressured into sex without a condom.

If you and a partner want to stop using condoms, get tested together first. UK guidelines recommend an STI test at the start of a relationship and after any new partner.

Agree on contraception before you stop using condoms. If either of you has sex with someone else, go back to using condoms and get tested again. Read more in “New relationship? Get tested together before you stop using condoms”

If you’ve had sex without a condom and don’t want to get pregnant, emergency contraception can help:

• an IUD (copper coil) can be fitted up to 5 days after sex, and it’s the most effective option
• emergency contraceptive pills need to be taken within 3 days (levonorgestrel) or 5 days (ulipristal acetate)
• whichever you choose, the sooner you use it, the better it usually works

If there’s a chance you’ve been exposed to HIV, act as soon as possible, and within 72 hours at the latest. Get urgent medical advice about PEP, a medicine that can stop you getting infected. To check for STIs, test from 2 weeks after sex for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, and from 45 days for a lab HIV test. Read more in “My condom broke. What should I do now? First steps and when to test”

Better2Know offers:

• Full Screen: tests for 7 infections, including HIV, Syphilis, Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, from 28 days after sex, with results in 3 days (5 days for the home test).
• Peace of Mind: tests for Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea and Syphilis from 14 days after sex, with results in 2 days. You can book it at one of our clinics or order a home test kit.
• Platinum Screen: tests for 12 infections, including HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and Trichomonas, from 28 days after sex, with results in 3 days.

If you test before 45 days, a negative HIV result needs a repeat test. A Syphilis test in the first 3 months after sex can miss the infection, so you may need a repeat test. Not sure which test you need? Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Can you catch an STI from having sex without a condom once?

Yes. You only need to have sex once to catch an STI, and because many STIs cause no symptoms, you could have one without knowing.

Is it safe to stop using condoms with a long-term partner?

It can be, if you only have sex with each other and you’ve both been tested. You’ll still need another kind of contraception if you don’t want to get pregnant.

Do I need a test if I feel fine?

Yes, if you’ve had sex without a condom with a new partner. Many STIs, including Chlamydia, often cause no symptoms, so testing is the only way to know.

About two in three women have sex without a condom in a year, usually with just one partner. Other contraception doesn’t protect against STIs, though, so testing is the only way to know that you and your partner are clear.

If you’ve had sex without a condom, book a Full Screen at a clinic near you or order a home test kit. Our Patient Care Team is available 24/7 on 020 7099 0955.

Not in the UK? Choose your country from the selector at the top of the page for local tests and prices.

This article originally appeared on 4 August 2012 and was last updated on 1 October 2026.

This article is general information and not a substitute for personal medical advice.

Sources

1. Natsal, Natsal-3 reference tables (survey carried out 2010 to 2012). https://www.natsal.ac.uk/natsal/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Natsal-3-Reference-tables.pdf
2. Natsal, Natsal-4. https://www.natsal.ac.uk/researchers/natsal-4/
3. Edelman N et al., Can psychosocial and socio-demographic questions help identify sexual risk among heterosexually-active women of reproductive age? Evidence from Britain’s third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), BMC Public Health, 2017. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-016-3918-8
4. Firman N et al., Contraceptive method use among women and its association with age, relationship status and duration, BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2018. https://srh.bmj.com/content/44/3/165
5. Scott-Sheldon LAJ et al., Alcohol use predicts sexual decision-making: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the experimental literature, AIDS and Behavior, 2016. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10461-015-1108-9
6. World Health Organization, Condoms, 14 February 2025. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/condoms
7. NHS, Condoms, reviewed 26 January 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/condoms/
8. NHS, Internal (female) condoms, reviewed 15 February 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/internal-condoms/
9. NHS, What is the combined pill?, reviewed 15 February 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/combined-pill/what-is-it/
10. NHS, IUD (intrauterine device) or copper coil, reviewed 15 February 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/iud/
11. NHS, Symptoms of menopause and perimenopause, reviewed 19 May 2026. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/menopause-and-perimenopause/symptoms/
12. NHS, Emergency contraception, reviewed 31 January 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/emergency-contraception/
13. NHS, HIV and AIDS, reviewed 9 July 2025. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-aids/
14. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, Summary guidance on testing for sexually transmitted infections, 2023. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/resources/bashh_summary_guidance_on_stis_testing_2023.pdf
15. Brook, Talking about condoms with your partner, updated 20 July 2023. https://www.brook.org.uk/your-life/talking-about-condoms/
16. Brook, Condom excuses and comebacks, updated 17 May 2023. https://www.brook.org.uk/your-life/condom-excuses/
17. Brook, STI testing FAQs, updated 28 November 2024. https://www.brook.org.uk/your-life/getting-tested-for-stis/