Unprotected sex, often referred to as intercourse without adequate contraception, can lead to unintended consequences such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs. This article delves into the potential risks of unprotected sex, explores emergency contraception options like levonorgestrel, EllaOne, and the copper IUD, and highlights the importance of informed decision-making for sexual health.

You may have been informed that a sexual partner or ex-partner has got an STI (sexually transmitted infection) and you may have been put at risk, so you require treatment. This can come as a shock, whether you hear it directly from your partner, an ex-partner texts you or you receive an anonymous text from a Sexual Health Clinic. But it’s better to know about this than be kept in the dark. STIs may or may not cause symptoms, but they can put you at risk of longer-term problems such as ongoing pain or infertility, and there are reliable treatments available. By getting treatment, even if you have no symptoms, this will protect you and future partners.

You may have been put at risk of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) if you have had unprotected sex, the condom broke, split or slipped off during sex, or you have been told a partner has an STI. STIs include gonorrhoea, chlamydia, HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B. You may have no symptoms from these, or symptoms may take weeks or months to show. It’s best to get this checked out, and the best place is to attend a Sexual Health Clinic. Look online for services near you, and know that it’s all confidential. If a partner has said they have an STI, you need to get treated immediately and avoid sex until treated, otherwise, you can pass it back and forth to each other. Again, this is best done at a Sexual Health Clinic. Unprotected sex also leaves women at risk of pregnancy. You can buy a pregnancy test, and it can take up to 3 weeks after unprotected sex for any pregnancy test to turn positive.

Dr Kandi explains how often we should be getting a sexual health screening.

Libido refers to your sex drive. Normal levels of libido and sex drive are different for each person and there is no standard that anyone should be compared to. Loss of libido is a type of sexual dysfunction and means a drop in your normal sex drive (not just lower than another person's). It is a common thing for people to experience and can be due to many different things, such as fatigue, stress, symptoms of mental health conditions like depression, difficult personal circumstances, relationship difficulties, physical health conditions or side effects of certain medications.

The progestogen-only pill (POP) is a type of contraception. It contains a progestogen hormone. The hormone closely resembles the progesterone hormone produced by a woman’s ovaries. Older (traditional) POPs contain either levonorgestrel (Norgeston) or norethisterone (Noriday). Newer POPs contain desogestrel; brands include Cerazette, Cerelle, Feanolla, and Zelleta. The POP is also referred to as the mini pill

You are never far from sexual health services in the UK. Dedicated clinics are there for phone consultations or visits, online services can post out testing kits for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and your GP is also a source of advice, testing and prescriptions. Needs can vary widely, but most people request access to STI tests such as chlamydia, gonorrhoea, syphilis, HIV and hepatitis, emergency contraception, regular contraception. They may offer hepatitis B vaccination if you are at risk, or emergency HIV treatment, if you think you’ve been exposed. They can also advise on safe sex, high risk behaviour, sexual assault or rape, and anonymous contact tracing for a sexual partner or partners if you have tested positive for an STI.

Also known as “natural family planning”, fertility tracking is a natural and hormone-free method of contraception and fertility aid. By recording different ‘fertility signals’, a woman can identify days when she is fertile and likely to become pregnant. ‘Fertility signals’ that can be measured are the cycle length, body temperature changes and cervical mucus. This fertility aid informs us when conception is likely to take place.