Hello everyone. I recently learned there are a handful of people in my community who engage in non-barriered intercourse by default (sex with multiple partners without condoms).
I try to keep to only one non-barriered partner, to minimize any STI spread that may occur. Though testing is important, there are risks that 1. A test may be wrong, and 2. An infection can be introduced and spread after a successful clean test.
Also, my partner has a history of getting BV if her non-barriered partner(s) have other non-barriered partners. So, we keep it to only one non-barriered partner (for intercourse).
Any thoughts on this? Is it ethical to have more than one? Is it sustainable to only have one?
Communication and transparency. Everyone should know so that everyone can make decisions based on their own risk tolerance.
Personally, in an open group, barriered sex is the default except for two primaries. In a closed group, I think it just depends on everyone risk tolerance and trust.
Personally I’d be fine going barrier free if I was in a closed group I trusted. Like all things, the bigger the group, the more likely somone isn’t playing by the rules.
So I think it depends a lot on the circumstances.