Sexual activities & the Risks

Vaginal penetrative sex

This is where the penis enters the vagina. All penetrative sex is risky without a condom and many sexually transmitted infections (STI) can be transmitted by unprotected penetrative vaginal sex.

If a man with HIV has vaginal intercourse without a condom, infected fluid can pass into the woman's blood stream through a tiny cut or sore inside her vagina. If a woman with HIV has sexual intercourse without a condom, the virus could get into the man's blood through the penis. Any contact with blood during sex increases the risk of infection.

Unprotected vaginal sex can also put you at risk of infections such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia, genital herpes, genital warts, hepatitis B and C, non-specific urethritis, syphilis and trichomonas vaginalis. Using a condom can help to protect against all these.

Any kind of vaginal sex, unprotected or otherwise, may set off bacterial vaginosis and thrush.