Is Having Sex In The Water Safe?

You lie on the beach all afternoon and drink cocktails. And now, it's dusk and the beach is empty. As silence and tranquility settle in, you and your partner have a fun idea: what if you made love in the water?

Stop right there! As exotic as it sounds, having sex in the water (whether it's an ocean, pool, lake, river, or even the bath), might be the worst idea you've had all day, apart from tanning without sunscreen.

You Can Get A Bacterial Infection

Seawater, your pool, a lake or river is full of bacteria of all kinds. While you can tolerate this bacteria on your skin, you do not necessarily want it touching your private parts.

In a pool or Jacuzzi, for example, if the water was not properly cleaned with chlorine, you may end up with a urinary tract infection, a yeast infection, or worse.

It Can Be Very Painful

Who said water provides more lube? Not at all! Rather, seawater will greatly reduce or eliminate natural lubrication. Both you and your partner will be annoyed by dryness, irritation and friction.

Again, chlorine can irritate the vulva or vagina afterwards as well, which is a far cry from the glamourous romp you're imagining while lying on your towel.

STD alert

Another risk is getting a sexually transmitted disease. The friction caused by a lack of lubrication increases the risk that the condom may break, as well as the chance of tears to the vaginal wall. If one of you does have an STD, the chances of passing it on can become much higher.

But of course, this is by no means a reason to have unprotected sex (unless you and your partner have done so already). According to doctor and sexologist Dr. Catherine Solano, whether you're on water or land, if you haven't been tested for HIV/AIDS, are not vaccinated against hepatitis B or aren't necessarily faithful to your partner, use a condom.

If you are using protection in the water, however, Solano has some advice. "When a condom is used to make love in the water, it must be put on out of the water and taken off once out of the water as well."

Bonus: Watch For Falls If You're Not An Acrobat

If you're having sex in the bathtub or shower, don't overdo the positions, and make use of anti-slip surfaces or even a bar to hold you — if you don't want to end up with four legs in the air.

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