Glossary Basics · MM
Condomless sex
Also called · bareback · raw · sex without a condom
At a glance
- In one line
- Penetrative sex with no barrier, which is a decision about risk rather than a technique.
- Usually looks like
- Agreed in advance between partners who have tested, with contraception settled separately.
- Gear needed
- None by definition. What it needs instead is a recent test result and a contraceptive plan.
- Talk about first
- Test dates, other partners, contraception, and what happens if something goes wrong.
Condomless sex is penetrative sex without a barrier between partners. The appeal usually described is sensation and warmth, along with the absence of a pause to open a wrapper, but the symbolic side matters just as much: for many couples going without condoms marks a shift in trust or exclusivity rather than a purely physical preference.
What people vary on is the conditions attached. Some treat it as available only inside a monogamous relationship after both partners have been tested; some rely on other contraception, PrEP, or an agreement about outside partners; some are comfortable with more risk than others. The conversation that usually precedes it covers testing dates, contraception, and what happens if something goes wrong.
A high rating often reflects sensation, intimacy, or both, and a low rating frequently reflects a considered preference for barriers rather than lack of interest in penetration. It is also normal for the same person to rate this very differently depending on whether they are picturing a long-term partner or someone new.
What a score means here Condomless sex
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0
Hard no: a barrier every time, regardless of relationship length, test results, or how things are going.
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1–33
1-33: imaginable in a long, tested, exclusive relationship, but not in any other circumstance.
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34–66
34-66: wanted once testing and contraception are settled, and never with a new partner.
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67–99
67-99: actively wanted with an established partner, and something you would raise early.
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100
100: the difference matters enough that sex with a condom is a poor substitute.
Rating it
A low score usually means you prefer to keep barriers in place regardless of context; a high score means condomless sex is something you actively want, which makes the testing and contraception conversation worth having early.
Common misconceptions
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If neither of you has symptoms, you are both clear.
In practiceChlamydia, gonorrhoea, and HPV are frequently symptomless and HIV can be for years. A recent test naming which infections were checked is the only way to know, and a general check-up does not automatically include them.
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Pulling out is about as good as a condom.
In practiceWithdrawal has a typical-use failure rate around 20 percent per year and does nothing at all about STI transmission. It is a fallback, not a method that replaces either function of a condom.
Worth knowing
Without a barrier both STI transmission and, for vaginal sex, pregnancy are live considerations, and many STIs have no symptoms, so recent testing for both partners plus an agreed contraceptive method are the standard precautions.
About this item Frequently asked
Condomless sex — questions people ask
What does bareback or raw sex mean?
Condomless sex means penetrative sex with no barrier in place; bareback and raw are the common informal terms, used most often about anal sex. Rated as its own item, it is a decision about risk rather than a physical act, which is why it sits separately from vaginal and anal sex on a list. The two things it changes are STI transmission for any kind of penetration and, for vaginal sex, pregnancy - and those are handled by different measures, not one.
How do you have the conversation about going without condoms?
It works better as a specific exchange than a general reassurance. Useful questions: when were you last tested, which infections were included, and has anything happened since. Full screens do not always cover herpes, and throat and rectal swabs are separate from a urine test. For vaginal sex, contraception needs deciding at the same time and separately, since one method rarely covers both risks. Agreeing what happens if a test later comes back positive, while it is still hypothetical, is what makes the arrangement hold.
How recent does an STI test need to be before going condomless?
Recent means after a window period, which is the gap between exposure and a reliable result - roughly two weeks for chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and up to 45 days for a fourth-generation HIV test. A test taken the day after a risk describes the previous partner, not this one. For anal sex, transmission risk is substantially higher than vaginal, and PrEP is the standard preventive for HIV specifically while doing nothing about other infections. Emergency contraception exists as a backup if a contraceptive plan fails.
What is the difference between condomless sex and finishing inside?
Condomless sex is about the barrier; finishing inside is about where ejaculation happens, and they are separate decisions. Sex without a condom that ends with withdrawal is still condomless, because STI exposure has already occurred, so the two numbers answer different questions. Pregnancy risk is the part withdrawal partially addresses, and it fails often enough to be unreliable as a method. Someone can want condomless sex with a long-term partner and rate finishing inside at zero on contraception grounds alone.
What score should I give condomless sex?
This score describes circumstances as much as preference, and it moves as circumstances do. On the 0-100 scale, 0 is a hard no - a barrier every time, regardless of test results or how long a relationship has run, and that is a complete answer needing no justification. The middle usually means yes once testing and contraception are settled and no with anyone new. A high score is worth pairing with a note about what conditions it assumes, since this is the one item a partner will reasonably want context for.
Appears on
This item appears on the Basics and MM tests — one vial each.