The Risks of Summer Sex

With its warm nights, the summer season often brings out the best and the most adventurous feelings of love and lust. Why confine sex to the bedroom, or even the house, when there are beaches and pools and hot tubs to host our most private moments?

A few reasons, as it turns out. As unsexy as it sounds, there are some health risks and practical concerns associated with summertime sex. While outright bans are not in order, some cautions to consider:

Condoms + water = tricky

Not to throw cold water on your fantasies, but you might consider some new drier ones.

While condoms are meant to be compatible with water-based lubricants, they should not be completely submerged in water. Condom companies don't test their products in such a condition, and therefore can't vouch for their effectiveness when used in pools, hot tubs or other wet and wild setups.

"Though the salt in seawater would not have adverse effects on condom materials, there is a strong possibility that the chemicals used in swimming pools (chlorine and ozone, for example) would," a Durex spokesperson told LiveScience.

Heat of any kind could break the condom down. Plus, it's just plain difficult to put on a condom in the water.

There are also the logistics of lubrication to deal with: Water washes it all away, including the natural lubrication a woman's body produces.

Sun, sand and ... bacteria - read more >>