Health Issues
Unsafe Sex and the City
By Mark Umbach

Jun 26, 2008

A new report just released by the Department of Health found that residents of New York City with multiple sex partners aren’t necessarily taking all the necessary precautions for safe sex. Additionally, the report pointed to the fact that the rate of unsafe sexual behavior by men having sex with men remains quite high.  

According to the report, over 11% of all New Yorkers, or about 610,000 residents, reportedly had more than one sexual partner in the past year. Of those people, 40% said they did not use a condom the last time they had sex.  

Big Apple-ers with same-sex sex partners are three times more likely to have multiple sex partners than those with opposite-sex partners. A higher rate of men who sleep exclusively with men, however, wrap it up every time they hit the sheets. Of those surveyed, 75% said they use a condom every time they have sex.  

These numbers aren't just for all those single folks out there. The study indicates that 5% of married couples claimed multiple sex partners in the past year.  

Back in 2006, it is reported, more than half of the city’s pregnancies were unplanned, and 60,000 new sexually transmitted infections occurred, including 3,745 new HIV diagnoses.  

For its part, the city itself has been making a concerted effort to promote safer sex by passing out free condoms at venues citywide. Since 2007, over 48 million condoms have been passed out at various locations, including clinics, health clubs, bars, etc. NYC continues to hand out more than 3 million condoms per month at these sites.