Riskiest States to Have Sex In, Revealed
The Riskiest States to Have Sex in Have Been Revealed... Oof.
The Story
It’s no secret that sex can be a ton of fun. Orgasms are incredibly pleasurable, and getting physically intimate with someone you’re attracted to can be deeply thrilling even without a climax.
But sex can also be risky — for a handful of reasons. And that’s especially true in the United States right now, a fact that a new study by Lion’s Den acknowledges as it sets out to rank the riskiest states to have sex in.
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The Snapshot
Unfortunately, despite its many pleasurable aspects, sex can come with unintended, and sometimes severe negative consequences. The specters of sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancies loom large over much of sex education curricula for a reason.
According to the Lion’s Den study — which considered factors like the prevalence of STIs, sexual health resources, abortion and reproductive rights policy, and more — the American South is the riskiest part of the country to have sex in. However, the far north makes an appearance, too, with Alaska coming in at No. 5 on the list, after Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama.
The bottom five also features four states from the American south in Oklahoma, Tennessee, South Carolina and Texas, with one more northern outlier — South Dakota.
The Lesson
Of course, variation within these states exists as well — rural areas may be less well served than urban ones when it comes to things like sexual health and abortion clinics. However, this does paint a bleak portrait of the state of sexual health and reproductive rights in the American South.
Pete Potenzini, marketing director at Lion’s Den, noted that “Southern states face a sexual health crisis where residents are three times more likely to contract an STD compared to New England states, with particularly alarming rates in Louisiana and Mississippi.”
“Limited healthcare access compounds these risks, as exemplified by Texas, where residents must travel significantly farther to reach sexual health clinics than the national average,” he adds. “These geographical disparities create dangerous ‘sexual health deserts’ where education, prevention, and treatment remain critically out of reach for vulnerable populations.”
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It’s heartbreaking to see that despite a wealth of knowledge in our modern era and abundant need for resources, political maneuvering has led to the existence of something like a ‘sexual health desert’ where people are more likely to suffer harsh consequences for normal and healthy sexual exploration.
Finally, practicing safer sex is always a good idea, but if you live in one of the riskier states — consider taking extra precautions, particularly if you’re having sex with someone that could lead to a pregnancy. Layering methods of prevention — such as combining two or more methods like condom use, the pull-out method, and birth control — can help create fail-safe situations if something goes wrong.
RELATED: How to Choose the Best Condoms
For older guys, or those who are confident in their desire not to have children, vasectomies — which are still reversible — can also be an incredibly useful preventative method.
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