Have you recently had sex with a new partner unprotected during the heat of passion? Or were you both drunk you didn’t know to remember to bring out the condom? There are so many reasons why people have unprotected sex, some for their dislike of condoms while others have simply forgotten to wear one due to the spontaneity of the action.
Whatever excuse you may have, unprotected sex with a partner you don’t know how or her status is quite dangerous and can have serious consequences such as unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections of which some might be impossible to treat.
But luckily, there are some measures to take after having unprotected sex that will reduce the risk of getting pregnant or contracting an infection. For one, it takes about five days to prevent an unwanted pregnancy so your pills can stop the damage and for the infection, immediately urinating after sex can flush out some bacteria.
Here are some things to do after having unprotected sex:
Use the bathroom
To prevent a urinary tract infection, it is important that you urinate first thing after sex even before you cuddle. This point goes to women who are more susceptible to a UTI because of the closeness of the urethra to the vagina. The bacteria that may have managed to slip in during sex can slip out while urinating.
Use an emergency contraception
If you have no plans of getting pregnant after unprotected sex, you will want to use a morning after pill to reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy. This is only applicable to women who have not been using a regular pill before this time. If you are on hormonal contraception, then you need not worry about getting pregnant.
See your doctor
After having unprotected sex, it is essential to see your doctor immediately to prevent an HIV infection. The doctor will give you what is called post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent the infection from developing. But this will only be possible if you act fast.
Get tested for STD
The next step is to go for a full diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases within seven days. Before going for a test, observe your body for any symptoms of infection. But even if you get no symptom, it’s safe for you to get an std test. Treating STDs earlier helps to prevent the symptoms from worsening and damaging vital organs of the body.
If your doctor diagnoses you of a bacterial infection, he will prescribe antibiotics to treat it. After treatment, you will need to get tested again to know if the infection has cleared off. If you get a viral infection like herpes, the doctor will give you an antiviral drug sick as aciclovir to treat you although it’s incurable.
Do a pregnancy test
There is a chance you might be pregnant if you’ve had unprotected sex. Wait for about three weeks before taking this test to get an accurate result before deciding what the next step to take.