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Women warned against risky sex – Metro US

Women warned against risky sex

The threat of HIV from unprotected anal sex is a significant issue for New York City women, according to a new survey from the city’s health department. Many of the 100,000 females who engage in the practice each year aren’t taken precautions to prevent HIV or other STDs, the survey found.

Only 23 percent of women use condoms during anal intercourse compared with 61 percent of men who have sex with other men. Health officials warn that since anal membranes are damaged during sex, the chance of HIV infection transmission is greater than during vaginal exposure — 30 times riskier, according to studies.

“Many people are aware of the risk of HIV when men have sex with other men, but this report shows that a large number of women also are putting themselves at high risk through unprotected anal sex,” Heath Commissioner Thomas Farley said in a statement.