Sex without a condom is good for you?

The Scottish psychologist Stuart Brody from the West of Scotland University, has claimed that unprotected heterosexual sex can significantly increase both of the partners’ mental well being, and that using a condom can lead to poor mental health issues including dealing with stress and depression.  Brody claims that people are programmed to enjoy sex as part of the reproductive process and to improve chances of conceiving.  The full article will be published in The Archives of Sexual Behaviour.

The study questioned 99 women and 111 men about the sex life and contraception choice.  It found that those not using condoms were able to deal with stress better, and those that used condoms were worse at dealing with stress.

Brody says that “Evolution is not politically correct, so of the very broad range of potential sexual behaviour, there is actually only one that is consistently associated with better physical and mental health and that is the one of sexual behaviours that would be favoured by evolution.  That is not accidental.”

The study has angered sexual health campaigners and family planning organisations who say that an unwanted pregnancy can be very damaging for both partners’ mental health.

Better2Know advises that anyone who has unprotected sex with different partners should get tested for HIV, STIs and STDs regularly.