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Underwater sex sounds pretty epic, right? I mean, there are so many hot, iconic movie scenes that involve sex in water, so…
But yeah, water sex is one of those things that looks way, way better on screen than it actually is in real life. There are just a few issues you should know about…
1. It’s not sterile.
Sure, you’re probably not getting freaky in a hospital-grade bed anyway, but bodies of water can carry some pretty gross bacteria like E.coli and salmonella. That includes pools and hot tubs with improper pH levels, rivers, lakes, oceans, etc.
“There is a chance that you are pushing bacteria or other germs into the vaginal canal and into your body,” says women’s health expert Dr Jennifer Wider.
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2. You can get seriously dry down there.
It seems like water would be an awesome lube – after all, it’s wet. But not so fast. “Water is not a good lubricant at all,” says gynaecologist Dr Jessica Shepherd.
Not only that, it can wash away the natural lubricant your body makes and dry you out, she says. As a result, it may be harder for you to stay as wet (and comfortable) during sex in water than on dry land.
3. You could be setting yourself up for vaginal tearing.
That lack of lube can be a problem and may even lead to increased friction in your vagina, Dr Shepherd says. And we’re not talking about the good kind of friction. Think more vaginal micro-tears, Dr Wider says. Also keep this in mind: If your partner is wearing a condom, more friction increases the odds the condom will tear, she points out.
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4. You could get a UTI.
Remember all that bacteria that’s hanging out in water? Well, it can also get pushed into your urethra (the small opening that pee comes out of) during sex, raising your risk of developing a urinary tract infection (UTI), Dr Wider says.
5. Your yeast infection risk can go up.
This just gets better and better, right? Having sex in any body of water can increase your yeast infection risk, and chlorine in particular is tricky because it can irritate your vagina and disrupt the delicate pH down there. “Anything that disrupts the pH can increase the risk of yeast infections,” Dr Shepherd says.
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6. You’re at a higher risk for STIs.
Sorry, but water doesn’t have magical STI-cleansing properties, unfortunately. Given that it’s kind of tricky to use a condom underwater, and especially hard to use one properly, this is pretty problematic. Another important thing to keep in mind, per Dr Wider, those aforementioned vaginal tears can up your risk of getting an STI, too.
7. Yup, you can still get pregnant.
If someone happens to ejaculate in a pool or other body of water where you’re swimming, you’re not going to become pregnant, Dr Wider says (that’s just an urban legend). But if you’re having penetrative sex and your partner ejaculates inside you then, yeah, you can get pregnant.
“Conception can still occur while having sex in the water, so do not count it as a form on contraception,” Dr Shepherd says.
All that said, if you have sex in water once or twice, your vagina isn’t going to shrivel up and die. Just keep in mind that there are some risks.
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com
Image credit: iStock
