Here's Why You Should Definitely Not Have Sex in a Hot Tub

Steamy hot tubs seem like the most romantic place to have sex, but is it really safe to do so? The short answer is no. Having sex in water in general is not recommended, and hot tubs — cesspools of bacteria that they are — present their own unfortunate risks. Unless you have your own hot tub and are diligent about cleaning it properly on the regular, you'll want to avoid having sex in friends' hot tubs, hotel hot tubs, and other public hot tubs for these reasons.

Simply soaking in a hot tub for a long time can increase your chance of a UTI, and having sex in a hot tub increases the chances of bacteria entering your vagina even more. The presence of chlorine can also mess with the natural pH of a vagina, increasing the chances of a yeast infection. Anyone who's suffered through these pesky infections before (aka every woman) knows how annoying they are to deal with, so it's just not worth the risk.

Even if you're using protection in a hot tub, it might not be that effective. High temperatures and chlorine can deteriorate condoms or cause them to break. In addition, it is still possible to get pregnant in water despite the fact that hot water can reduce sperm count.

Despite the myth that chlorine kills off STDs, that's simply untrue. Sexually transmitted diseases can still be transmitted in water, even when the water is chlorinated. Having sex in a hot tub might actually increase your chances of getting an STD from your partner: if the chlorine irritates you down there, an STD infection could be more likely to occur.