Without a condom, vaginal and anal sex carry risks that go far beyond an unplanned pregnancy, especially in casual or professional contexts. Using physical barriers is vital for one simple reason: prophylactic medications do not protect your body against everything.
PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) is excellent at what it does: preventing HIV infection. However, it acts as a shield against that single virus alone. PrEP offers no protection whatsoever against other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)—such as syphilis, gonorrhoea, chlamydia, herpes, and HPV—nor against bacterial infections caused by the body’s natural microflora.
In unprotected anal sex, the bacterial risk to the penetrating partner is high. The rectum naturally harbours millions of bacteria—such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococcus faecalis—which form part of a healthy intestinal flora, but become highly pathogenic if they enter the male urethral tract.
A striking case I studied during my postgraduate course in Sexology illustrates this danger perfectly: a married man developed a severe prostate infection (acute bacterial prostatitis) caused by his wife’s own E. coli bacteria after they engaged in anal sex without a condom.
The bacteria travelled up the urethra and lodged in the prostate. The symptoms of this condition are usually severe:
Acute pain and a burning sensation when urinating;
Severe pain in the genital area, perineum, and lower abdomen;
High fever, chills, and difficulty emptying the bladder;
A constant feeling of heaviness and discomfort in the pelvis. Because the tissue is difficult for medication to reach, treatment requires weeks of strong antibiotics. It is a deeply painful process that carries the risk of turning into a chronic infection or causing abscesses.
When multiple partners are involved, cumulative unprotected exposures increase not only the spread of serious STIs, but also transmission of opportunistic bacteria. Condoms remain the only method capable of preventing direct contact with fluids and microorganisms, safeguarding your health across the board.
I work in sex work, and sex, to me, is health. I take rigorous care of my body: I don’t do drugs, I don’t smoke, and I do everything I can to keep my immune system high. Taking such care in my day-to-day life, I would never dream of having sex without a condom with a stranger—after all, a client is neither a husband nor a boyfriend.
No amount of money is worth my life. I deeply regret that so many men message me on WhatsApp with this “revolting” approach, showing that they give no thought to their own health, their own bodies, or their future.