As travellers go places where they are not known, they may no longer feel obligated to observe the same moral standards as at home, or they may desire to create a connection with others.
The act of travel itself may create the potential for casual sex. Dis-inhibition resulting from drug and alcohol use, a desire for adventure and excitement, peer pressure, and underlying psychological needs and personality traits may contribute, individually or in combination, to travellers having casual sex.
International travellers having sex with new partners while abroad are exposed to different “sexual networks” than at home and can serve as a conduit for the importation of novel or drug-resistant sexually transmitted infections (STIs) into parts of the world where they are unknown or rare.
Gonorrhoea, for example, among the more common STIs globally (with an estimated 85 million new cases in 2012), has become extensively drug-resistant in some parts of the world. Patients presenting with antimicrobial-resistant gonococcal infections should prompt providers to inquire about their travel history and the travel history of their sex partners. It is important to distinguish between casual sex and sex tourism.
Sex tourism is travel for the specific purpose of having sex, typically with commercial sex workers. Casual sex during travel, by contrast, describes informal sexual encounters with fellow travellers or locals. Although some travellers may expect to have casual sexual encounters, others who have sex do not.
Two meta-analyses (2010 and 2018) provide a range of how many international travellers engage in casual sex, approximately 20%–34%. These numbers shed some light on how common casual sex during travel may be. These same studies also provide estimates on the number of travellers engaging in unprotected sex (i.e., sex without a condom).
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The 2010 and 2018 reports indicate that approximately half of all travellers participating in casual sex abroad have unprotected intercourse. Travel can be great for your sex life, whether you are travelling with your awesome partner or out to see and experience the world as a solo traveller. But it’s important to be prepared for the logistical, social, and cultural differences of sex around the world. Here is how to have better, safer sex while travelling.
Get tested before you travel (Know before you go)
If you are sexually active, it should be a standard operating procedure to get tested for STIs every 6 months (at the least!). More often if you are having sex with multiple partners. Getting tested is easy and affordable, even if you do not have insurance. As a traveller, it’s doubly important to know if you have any STIs so you can take all the necessary precautions.
Get consent before sex
Consent is a clearly expressed agreement to participate in sexual activity that includes touching, kissing, oral sex, and penetration. Consent is continual, freely given, informed, enthusiastic, mutual, specific, and can be withdrawn at any time.” There’s only one sure way to know if your partner is giving you their consent—ask them. Then ask again. Ask some more later. Asking for consent may sound like it’s too simple to be a good rule, but if you follow this one rule you’ll know beyond any misinterpretations, confusion, or cultural misunderstandings. Do not get accused of rape in a strange land!
Be familiar with sexual etiquette at your destination
You should understand what the norms are for sex and sexual intimacy, but never feel like you should do something you are not personally comfortable with.
Pack your own condoms
Travellers need to pack their own condoms, regardless of if you “do not plan on having sex” or, “he should have the condom.” Those are terrible ways to avoid STIs and pregnancy. Condoms are affordable, lightweight, and TSA compliant. Pack at least 3-6 condoms to be prepared.
Fun fact
The US military not only provided male condoms for every US soldier during WWII—they created posters, films, and slogans to get soldiers to use those condoms. “Don’t forget — put it on before you put it in” was an actual slogan the US military created to stop soldiers from contracting STIs (namely syphilis) while travelling the world.
Things to know about condoms
It can be a hassle to buy male condoms while you are travelling. (Do not even get me started on buying female condoms abroad). Take responsibility for your sexual health by packing your own condoms before you travel. Male condoms have a shelf-life of 3-5 years, so always check the expiration date. Do not store condoms in your wallet (the heat and humidity can make them less effective if stored for too long).
Condoms come in a variety of sizes for different length and girth; don’t just grab the first box of condoms on the shelf. Finding the right fit will make you more likely to wear the condom and still enjoy safe sex. Female condoms can be inserted up to 8 hours before sex. You do not need a prescription to use female condoms. No need to use a male and female condom at the same time (they can cause each other to tear)
Here’s how to say “Condom” around the world: Spanish: el condón, el profiláctico, el preservador, French: le préservatif, la capote, German: Kondom, das Präservativ, der Präser, Portuguese: a preservativo, o camisinha, o profilático , Japanese: Kondomu,
You do not necessarily need to have sex
If you are not comfortable going all the way but still want to hook up and have some fun, that is totally fine. Not going “all the way” is always an option. If this is the case, make sure to communicate this to your partner and be consistent with your response. And if they do not want to use a Condom, insist on it. In areas of the world with more “traditional” gender norms, men seem to be more resistant to using condoms. If your partner tries to talk you out of it, insist on it.
Trust your instinct
Our creep radar might be off when we are travelling abroad. If things get weird, even though this person seems totally normal and charming, trust your instincts, and get out. You are always better safe than sorry.
Drink and do drugs responsibly
When we are travelling or on holiday, we want to let loose and try new things, do not let it get to the point where it would put you in danger. Keep your alcohol and drug consumption to a point where you are still coherent enough to take care of yourself or recognize a potentially sketchy situation. However, let someone know where you are going. If you are travelling with others, always let them know where you’re going if you split up. If you are travelling solo, have a trusted person back home who you can update on your whereabouts, and when they should hear from you next. Better yet, always give a trusted friend access to your location. You can do this through iPhone’s Find My Friends app, or Google Maps. Just go to your settings to turn on location sharing and send it to someone you trust.
Always know where you are going and how to get “Home”
If you’re not hooking up in your accommodations, make sure you know where you are and how to get safely home. Have Uber, or a local equivalent, downloaded on your phone, a local taxi number to call, or just an understanding of “no go zones” after dark. Meanwhile, always keep your phone charged or bring an external battery pack with you when you are out and about. In case of an emergency, make sure you have a way of calling someone or international phone plan. In most places, you will be able to call the local version of 911 even without a local SIM or working phone plan.
Look out for yourself first and have fun
Always use a condom, no matter how charming that other person is, or how much they insist that they “do not have any STIs.” It’s not worth it. Have Fun, sex and romance are fun and can be extra exciting when you are swept up in the romance of being somewhere new. After you have done your due diligence to be safe, enjoy it your trip!
Adeniyi Bukola, Consultant Family Physician and Travel Medicine Physician
Q –Life Family Clinic
qlifeadvisory@outlook.com.
