"latex isn’t built for a hot car or a baking beach bag."
Holiday sex has a reputation for being carefree, whether it is a one-night stand or a week-long fling.
New places and fewer inhibitions all play into it. But that’s exactly where the problem starts.
Each year, thousands of travellers pick up sexually transmitted infections (STIs) abroad, often without realising how it happened.
It’s not always about no protection at all. More often, it’s small, overlooked mistakes that quietly undo the protection people think they have.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates more than one million curable STIs are acquired every day globally among people aged 15-49.
CDC guidance published in 2025 also suggests that around half of travellers who have casual sex abroad don’t use condoms.
But even when they do, everyday holiday habits can still increase risk in ways most people don’t think about in the moment.
So whether it’s canoodling on a beach or sneaking out of the hotel room for a midnight tryst, there are a few precautions to take note of.
Leaving Condoms in Bags and Pockets
It sounds minor, but heat can quietly ruin protection before anything even happens.
On holiday, condoms often end up in beach bags, back pockets, suitcases or cars left in the sun. It feels harmless, but latex doesn’t handle heat well over time.
Dr Babak Ashrafi, clinical lead at Superdrug Online Doctor, told Metro:
“Condoms are built to last, but latex isn’t built for a hot car or a baking beach bag.
“Prolonged exposure to high temperatures weakens the material, making it far more likely to split during sex.
“Before you use one, check it: if the packaging looks damaged or the condom feels brittle or dried out, bin it and use a fresh one.”
According to sex and relationships coach Gemma Nice, this happens more often than people think, especially during summer travel when condoms are carried around all day without a second thought.
The risk is simple. If the material has already been weakened by heat, it’s no longer reliable protection, even if it looks fine.
Washing Sun Cream Off Hands
This is one of those holiday mistakes almost nobody talks about.
Sun cream is essential on holiday, but it doesn’t just stay on the skin.
It gets on your hands and anything you touch afterwards, including condoms.
Gemma Nice points out that SPF use throughout the day means residue is almost unavoidable unless people wash their hands properly before having sex.
Dr Ashrafi explains that “latex is a natural rubber, making it porous and reactive”.
He added: “When oily or greasy substances like SPF, aftersun, or body lotion come into contact with it, they break down the material at a molecular level, significantly increasing the risk of breakage.”
In simple terms, it weakens the condom where you can’t see it happening.
That’s why timing matters.
If sun cream has just been applied, washing and drying hands before handling a condom makes a real difference. It’s small, but it protects the thing that’s meant to protect you.
Get Tested before Travelling
This is the one most people skip entirely and it matters more than they think.
Data released in May 2026 from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) shows sexually transmitted infections reached record levels across Europe in 2024.
The rise has been linked to increases in gonorrhoea and syphilis, along with gaps in testing and prevention.
The issue is that many STIs don’t show symptoms straight away. That means someone can feel completely fine while still carrying and passing on an infection.
A pre-travel STI test gives people a clear starting point before any casual sex abroad. It removes uncertainty and makes decision-making easier in the moment.
Post-travel testing matters just as much, especially after new partners or unprotected sex.
Used together, testing and condoms form a basic safety net. One doesn’t replace the other.
Sex in the Water
For many people, holiday settings lower inhibitions, and sex in water can feel like part of that freedom. Swimming pools and hot tubs often become spaces for spontaneity.
But the same conditions that make it exciting also create a higher risk environment for STIs and other sexual health issues.
Licensed sexologist and relationship therapist Sofie Roos, who is also an author at Passionerad, told DESIblitz:
“Water makes condoms less reliable, as it makes them more likely to slip off the penis or break, especially in chlorinated pool water, or in steamy and turbulent hot tubs!”
There is also an “increased risk of irritation”, as Roos continued:
“Chlorine, hot water and the increased friction can dry out sensitive skin and mucous membranes, which can lead to tiny wounds, which makes it easier to catch infections or an STI.”
These micro-tears may be invisible, but they can create entry points for bacteria and viruses.
This is also due to the fact that water washes away natural lubrication.
But despite these risks, water-based intimacy does not have to be completely avoided.
Roos advised: “If you have access to a private shower, that’s a slightly better alternative if you want to have sex in a wet environment, even though the condom still will get negatively affected by the water.”
And for holidaymakers wanting to stay intimate in the moment, Roos added:
“Go for other forms of intimacy than penetrative sex when being in the water. Kisses, hand jobs, or oral sex is way better.”
Holiday sex doesn’t have to be risky, but it often becomes so through small, preventable habits rather than obvious mistakes.
Heat-damaged condoms and sun cream residue don’t feel significant at the time, yet they’re exactly what can undermine protection.
The reality is simple: awareness doesn’t take away from spontaneity. It just means the only thing you bring home from your trip is the memory, not an STI.
