Ask Pat

Is intercourse in pools/hot tubs risky because semen might leak?

Q)My girlfriend and I are sexually active. I am wondering if intercourse in pools and hot tubs is more dangerous because semen might leak out of a condom?

A)

If hot tubs and swimming pools are properly maintained using chlorine and other chemicals, it is unlikely that semen, even if it did leak out of condoms, would remain "viable", meaning it is unlikely it would be able to live in that environment. However, nothing is ever completely impossible, so Pat would never say there is not any possibility of this happening. It would be a most unlikely scenario, though.