Is sex without a condom good for you? What the research says

There’s no good evidence that it does. Claims that sex without a condom lifts your mood or protects your mental health come from a few surveys. They found links between condom use and how people answered questionnaires, but they couldn’t show that condoms cause poorer mental health.

What is clear is that sex without a condom raises your risk of STIs and, for vaginal sex, pregnancy. If you and a partner want to stop using condoms, getting tested first and agreeing on other protection makes it much safer.

In 2012, this blog reported a claim by a psychologist at the University of the West of Scotland that sex without a condom was better for both partners’ mental wellbeing. The figures in that post match a study published in 2008 in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

The researchers asked 210 people in Portugal, 99 women and 111 men, how often they’d had vaginal sex with and without condoms in the past month. Each person also filled in a questionnaire about defence mechanisms, the automatic ways the mind protects itself from anxiety and stress.

• People who had more sex with condoms scored higher for “immature” defence mechanisms, which have been linked with poorer mental health.
• People who had more sex without condoms scored lower.

The authors said their results were consistent with condom use being linked to psychological immaturity. That isn’t the same as showing that condoms cause it.

The study found a link, not cause and effect. It had several limits:

• It was a one-off survey, so it can’t show whether condoms affect mental health, or whether people who think in different ways simply use condoms differently.
• It didn’t measure stress, depression or wellbeing directly. It measured answers to a questionnaire about defence mechanisms.
• It relied on people remembering a single month of their sex lives.
• It looked at individuals, not couples, so it says nothing about how both partners feel.

A survey like this can raise a question, but it can’t answer it. We haven’t found any later research showing that giving up condoms improves mental health.

A 2002 study in the US asked female college students about condom use and depression. Those who had sex without condoms scored lower on a depression questionnaire. The researchers used condom use as a stand-in for semen in the vagina, and said their results were consistent with the possibility that semen eases depression.

But the study didn’t measure semen at all, it only included female students, and it couldn’t show cause and effect. There’s still no good evidence that semen improves mood. Read more in “Is swallowing semen good for you?”

Condoms are the only type of contraception that protects against both STIs and pregnancy. Without one:

• STIs such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, Syphilis, HIV, Herpes and HPV can pass between partners.
• Many STIs cause no symptoms, so a partner may have one without knowing.
• For vaginal sex, there’s a risk of pregnancy unless you use other contraception.

The NHS says condoms are up to 98% effective at preventing pregnancy when used correctly every time, and 82% effective when they’re not. It also says using a condom every time you have sex is the best way to protect you and your partner from HIV and other STIs.

Many couples stop using condoms once they’re in a steady relationship. UK guidelines suggest that anyone with one long-term partner, where neither of you has sex with anyone else, tests at the start of the relationship. To make the switch safer:

1. Both get tested before you stop. Tests need time after sex to be reliable: 2 weeks for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea, and 45 days for HIV with a lab test.
2. Keep using condoms until you both have your results.
3. Agree that you’ll only have sex with each other, and talk about what you’d do if that changed.
4. Sort out other contraception if pregnancy is possible.

A Syphilis test in the first 3 months after sex can miss the infection, so you may need a repeat test. Read more in “New relationship? Get tested together before you stop using condoms”

If you don’t always use condoms, other protection can lower some risks:

• PrEP is HIV medicine. Taken daily and correctly, it’s around 99% effective at preventing HIV. It doesn’t protect against other STIs.
• Someone with HIV who is on effective treatment and has an undetectable viral load can’t pass HIV on through sex.
• The HPV vaccine protects against the types of HPV that cause most genital warts and cervical cancers. The Hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for people at higher risk, including people who change sexual partners often.
• PEP is emergency HIV medicine. It needs to be started within 72 hours of a possible exposure, so get urgent medical care straight away if you need it.

Regular testing matters too. UK guidelines suggest testing at least once a year and when you change partner, and every 3 months if you’ve had several partners since your last test.

Better2Know offers:

• Full Screen: tests for 7 infections, including Chlamydia, Gonorrhoea, HIV, Syphilis and Hepatitis B, from 28 days after sex, with results in 3 days (5 days for the home test).
• Peace of Mind: if you want to test sooner, it checks 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, adding Hepatitis C, Herpes 1, Herpes 2, Trichomonas and Gardnerella to the Full Screen, 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.

Is sex without a condom safe if I’m on the pill?

The pill protects against pregnancy, not STIs. Condoms are the only contraception that protects against both, so if you stop using them, testing is the way to check for STIs.

Can you get an STI from a long-term partner?

Yes, if either of you had an infection before you met. Many STIs cause no symptoms and can go unnoticed for a long time. Read more in “Can you get an STI in a relationship even if no one’s cheated?”

How soon should I test after sex without a condom?

You can test for Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea from 2 weeks after sex. A lab test for HIV is reliable from 45 days, but if you think you’ve been exposed to HIV in the last 72 hours, get urgent medical care for PEP.

There’s no good evidence that sex without a condom is good for your mental health. The studies behind the headlines were surveys that found links, not proof. What sex without a condom does do is raise your risk of STIs and pregnancy, so if you and a partner want to stop using condoms, test first and agree on other protection.

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 31 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. Costa RM, Brody S. Condom use for penile-vaginal intercourse is associated with immature psychological defense mechanisms. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2008. https://academic.oup.com/jsm/article-abstract/5/11/2522/6862453
2. Gallup GG Jr, Burch RL, Platek SM. Does semen have antidepressant properties? Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2002. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1015257004839
3. NHS, Condoms, reviewed 26 January 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/contraception/methods-of-contraception/condoms/
4. NHS, Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), reviewed 13 May 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sexually-transmitted-infections-stis/
5. Brook, Condoms, updated 1 July 2026. https://www.brook.org.uk/your-life/condoms/
6. Brook, STI testing: FAQs, updated 28 November 2024. https://www.brook.org.uk/your-life/getting-tested-for-stis/
7. 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
8. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, UK national guideline for the management of infection with Chlamydia trachomatis, 2026. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/national_guideline_for_the_management_of_infection_chlamydia_trachomatis_2026.pdf
9. British HIV Association, British Association for Sexual Health and HIV and British Infection Association, Adult HIV testing guidelines, 2020. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/resources/hivtesting2020wiley.pdf
10. British Association for Sexual Health and HIV, UK guidelines for the management of syphilis, 2024. https://www.bashh.org/_userfiles/pages/files/syphilis_2024.pdf
11. NHS, Common questions about pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), reviewed 10 March 2023. https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep/common-questions-about-pre-exposure-prophylaxis-prep/
12. NHS, HIV and AIDS, reviewed 9 July 2025. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/hiv-and-aids/
13. NHS, HPV vaccine, reviewed 1 September 2023. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/hpv-vaccine/
14. NHS, Hepatitis B vaccine, reviewed 19 March 2024. https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/hepatitis-b-vaccine/