₦airaland Forum

In a country grappling with a fragile healthcare system, rising cases of sexually transmitted infections, and inconsistent access to sexual health education, the decision to have unprotected sex carries more than just emotional weight; it can be a matter of life and long-term health complications.

Medical experts across the country warn that the risks of ‘condomless sex’ are grossly underestimated, especially among young adults, many of whom either lack access to accurate information or fall prey to persistent myths.

Meanwhile, here are five critical things to know before you decide to have sex without a condom:

You’re gambling with more than just pregnancy

Many young Nigerians still associate condoms primarily with pregnancy prevention. They forget, or don’t know, that condoms are the first line of defence against sexually transmitted infections,” says an Enugu-based sexual health researcher, Adaeze Nnamani.

In Nigeria, HIV remains a significant threat, especially among sexually active young people. According to the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, Nigeria still has one of the highest rates of new HIV infections globally, with young women disproportionately affected.

Beyond HIV, infections such as gonorrhoea, syphilis, chlamydia, and hepatitis B are also on the rise.

Many of these don’t show symptoms at first, which means people are spreading and suffering from them unknowingly,” Nnamani adds.

Overstretched healthcare system

Access to quality sexual and reproductive healthcare remains limited in many parts of Nigeria. Public hospitals are often underfunded, poorly equipped, and overburdened.

Private healthcare is out of reach for many, especially students and low-income earners.

“When young people contract STIs, they often resort to self-medication or ignore symptoms altogether because of stigma or financial constraints,” notes a public health advocate, Dr Olumide Afolabi. “This delay worsens their health and increases the risk of infertility or chronic conditions.”

Many pharmacies and patent medicine vendors offer over-the-counter antibiotics without prescriptions, leading to rampant misuse and antibiotic resistance. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, resistant strains of gonorrhoea have already been detected in several states.

You could be legally, morally liable

Few Nigerians are unaware that knowingly transmitting an STI can have legal implications. While laws vary across states, courts have prosecuted cases involving the wilful transmission of HIV, particularly in situations where the infected party was aware of their status and failed to inform their partner.

“There’s also the ethical responsibility to protect your partner,” says Mr Halima Gana, a human rights lawyer based in Abuja. “If you’re not using protection and you’re not disclosing your status, that’s a violation of consent and trust.”

Emergency contraception is not a safety net

A common misconception among Nigerian youths is that emergency contraceptive pills like Postinor can replace condoms altogether. While they may prevent pregnancy when taken correctly, they offer no protection against STIs.

“Worse still, we’re seeing young women abusing these pills, taking them multiple times a month, sometimes even weekly,” says a physician and public health researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Dr Olabiyi Olaniran. “This can disrupt menstrual cycles, affect fertility in the long run, and doesn’t guard against the trauma of an untreated infection.”

She stresses that the repeated use of ECPs is not only medically unwise but a clear signal that sex education and access to reliable contraception remain dangerously inadequate.

Trust alone is not protection

Emotional intimacy doesn’t eliminate medical risks. Many people forgo condoms in steady relationships based on trust alone, without ever getting tested together.

“I’ve treated couples who gave each other STIs without even realising it. One partner may have been exposed years ago and never knew,” Olaniran says.

“Before deciding to stop using condoms in any relationship, experts recommend that both partners undergo a full sexual health screening. Even then, regular check-ups should follow. It’s not about distrust; it’s about shared responsibility.”

Until Nigeria’s healthcare system is fixed, its sex education improved, and access to care broadened, the humble condom remains a small act of protection in a system not yet built to catch those who fall. And that, experts agree, is not a gamble worth taking.

QVicky10:
Another important thing to note, is that pullout method is not a form of pregnancy control.
Pre-ejaculate can also lead to pregnancy.

QVicky10:
Another important thing to note, is that pullout method is not a form of pregnancy control.
Pre-ejaculate can also lead to pregnancy.

Kindered:
I'm I'm my mid 40s and I've never once In my entire life use CD. I've been going raw since when I was 17 till today, no infection, no sickness. On Average, I usually banged more than 50 different ladies per annum. I'm clean, agile and can lasts as long as I wish. I don't believe in any std.

Kaido:
Pullout kings dey try.

I have never had unprotected sex.

Kindered:
I'm I'm my mid 40s and I've never once In my entire life use CD. I've been going raw since when I was 17 till today, no infection, no sickness. On Average, I usually banged more than 50 different ladies per annum. I'm clean, agile and can lasts as long as I wish. I don't believe in any std.

Kindered:
I'm I'm my mid 40s and I've never once In my entire life use CD. I've been going raw since when I was 17 till today, no infection, no sickness. On Average, I usually banged more than 50 different ladies per annum. I'm clean, agile and can lasts as long as I wish. I don't believe in any std.

DrAkpa:
Agent of the devill attempting to deceive gullible young people

RollinTNDA:
I usually wait 1 day after my babe period end
During that phase till she start ovulation.

That is when I fire down raw and distribute all my akamu inside. Her chancices of getting pregnant at follicular stage is very slim.

Once she enter ovulation on day 14
Na that time you go see lubrication na water.
Everywhere go warm come slippery

And that is the time when pregnancy is very high.

My trick back then was to jokingly ask my female friends when they had their period

The ones that were close to me will tell me
Then I start calculating their cycle to know when her ovulation will start.
That week ovulation start, that is when women become very hornny. That when I begin to be flirty with her and before you know it.
Back don touch ground everywhere creamy

It's always worked 9/10
Knowledge is power

Kobicove:
Yes this is true but most people do not know

Kindered:
I'm I'm my mid 40s and I've never once In my entire life use CD. I've been going raw since when I was 17 till today, no infection, no sickness. On Average, I usually banged more than 50 different ladies per annum. I'm clean, agile and can lasts as long as I wish. I don't believe in any std.