A controversial scientist has – well, done exactly what is says on the tin, by claiming that sex without condoms is better for people’s mental health. The Scottish psychologist Stuart Brody has said that people who have straight sex regularly without using a condom are in better mental health than those that do not.
The professor did a study of 111 Portuguese men and 99 women, who he asked to answer questions about their sex lives. He says that that the results suggest that “evolutionary relevant” sex is able to prevent depression, suicidal tendancies and emotional immaturity.The results suggest that this was true whether a couple were in a stable relationship or whether they were sleeping around.
Writing to the Archive of Sexual Behavior, Prof Brody said that the more someone had sex without a condom, the better their mental state would be. He suggested that this was due to the blocking of antidepressant and immunological behaviour in semen and genital secretions and also reduced sexual enjoyment and intimacy.
The Family Planning Association has stressed that condoms are crucial for protecting against STIs. Their director of information, Natika Halil, said that they guard sexually active people against most sexually transmitted infections and provide a 98% effective form of contraception.
Prof. Brody’s study has some glaring inconsistencies in it. It is generally agreed that some people use unprotected sex as a means of self-destruction, signifying a lack of concern for their health or the health of their partners. The boom in pregnancies and STIs amongst teenagers also shows that unprotected sex is a sign of emotional immaturity, as teenagers are not adult enough to think through the potential consequences of their actions.
Aside from that, catching HIV, syphilis, chlamydia or accidentally falling pregnant is hardly likely to put someone in the best mental health...