Eco-friendly Sex: What is it and How Does it Help the Environment?

Today we talk about various alternatives in our daily lives to reduce our carbon footprint, such as changing means of transport, using clean energy or stopping using food products that are made of plastic. However, little has been touched on the subject of sexual life and how it impacts the environment.

So, from sexuality, the use of condoms and contraceptive pills produce enormous damage to ecosystems and for that very reason the need arises to talk about ecological sex and why it is becoming something of greater relevance at the time.

What does Eco-friendly sex consist of?

According to the United Nations Population Fund, it is estimated that annually the industry manages to produce about ten billion male condoms, which end up in garbage dumps and later in the rest of the natural ecosystems.

However, making environmentally friendly condoms is not an easy task. It turns out that the only biodegradable option to make them is with lambskin, a technique used in Roman times but which is also far from friendly since the intestines of sheep are used for their manufacture and they are not functional to prevent sexually transmitted diseases. as they tend to break easily.

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As for lubricants, most are known to be petroleum-based. In other words, they are manufactured with highly polluting fossil fuels. So an alternative in the market to replace them are those water-based products or also those that can be made at home.

Now, while sex toys are usually plastic, there are different options such as those made of steel or glass. In addition, there are rechargeable toys that help reduce waste and some are even charged with solar energy. A promising way to make a difference to the planet.

Other ways to reduce the carbon footprint from sexuality

From sexuality there are other aspects that can contribute to change, such as:

• Acquire clothes in the market made in a sustainable way.
• Do not practice sex in the shower and thus mitigate unnecessary water consumption.
• Reduce the use of hot water.
• Turn off the lights while having sex.
• Use reusable feminine cloths.

Meanwhile, intrauterine devices or implants that go under the skin serve as a fairly efficient long-term option to reduce the waste generated by birth control pills since they come in plastic wrappers, although this carries certain risks of acquiring an STD . Therefore, the only thing left to avoid a disease without the use of latex condoms (the safest on the market), is to ask sexual partners for medical tests before having a relationship. This protects the environment and the health of the people themselves.

Finally, avoiding reproduction is another alternative to reduce the carbon footprint. Recently, in a worldwide survey carried out by British specialists, it was found that 41% of the 10,000 young people who participated in the survey stated that they do not want to have children and whose main reason was climate change. It should be clarified that reproduction is a personal decision of each human being, but the reality is that not bringing children into the world benefits the environment, saving millions of tons of CO2 for the planet.