Sexuality: how can we have more environmentally friendly sex?

When we think about the various avenues that exist to reduce our carbon footprint in the world, sex life is not usually at the top of the list.

However, searches on the web for sustainable products – such as vegan condoms and non-residue contraceptives – have continued to increase in recent years.

What is green sex?

“For some, being respectful of the environment means choosing lubricants, toys, sheets and condoms that have a less impact on the planet”Explains Dr. Adenike Akinsemolu, a Nigerian scientist specializing in environmental sustainability.

The United Nations Population Fund estimates that each year about 10 billion male condoms made of latex and most of it ends up in landfills.

This type of condoms, made with synthetic latex, additives and chemicals are impossible to recycle.

Condoms lamb skinUsed since Roman times, they are the only fully biodegradable option, but they do not prevent sexually transmitted infections (STDs). In addition, the way they are manufactured is far from friendly, because for this the sheep intestine.

If we talk about lubricants, many of them are oil-based, that is, they contain fossil fuels highly polluting.

For this reason, products have increased in the market water-based or ecological. Even homemade options are becoming more and more popular.

The doctor Tessa Commers has more than a million followers on TikTok with his videos on sexual health. The most viewed – with almost eight million views – is a recipe for homemade lubricant made with cornstarch and water.

“Water-based lubricants and organic and vegan condoms are a good choice to have fun and adopt a sustainable sex life,” says Nigerian doctor Akinsemolu.

“Not only do they cause less damage to the environment, but they offer their users a lot of fun,” he says.

However, there is a caveat about some of the organic products that cannot be used with most condoms because they tend to break.

The sex toys They are another area in which the use of plastic is very widespread. There are steel or glass alternatives and the option to buy rechargeable toys also helps reduce waste. There are even solar-powered sex toys on the market.

Companies like LoveHoney They help recycle old and broken toys that cannot go through typical recycling routes.

There are other less obvious aspects of our sex lives where changes can be made to reduce waste.

Buying sustainably made underwear and clothing, avoiding shower sex, using less hot water, keeping the lights off, and opting for reusable feminine pads are ways to reduce our impact on the planet.

“Zero waste”

Like most of the things we buy, packaging they also tend to generate waste. Lauren Singer, an entrepreneur and influencer of the “zero waste” concept in New York, says that this is where most companies can make a difference.

Condoms, lubricants, and daily contraceptive pills are products that come in plastic containers that end up in landfills.

IUDs (intrauterine devices) and implants (or small rods that go under the skin) are longer-term contraceptive options that generate less waste but carry their own risks.

Lauren lives practically without producing waste and since 2012 she has collected in a small jar everything that she has not been able to recycle.

There are no condoms in Lauren’s bottle. Although they are the only effective contraceptive method against STDs, she prefers, on the contrary, losing their sexual partners medical tests before getting to bed with them.

“I have a monogamous partner now, but if you don’t feel comfortable asking your partner to get tested before you sleep with her, you probably shouldn’t sleep with her,” Lauren says.

The young woman acknowledges, however, that there is no nothing more unsustainable than an unwanted pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease.

“We have to consider which waste is worth producing and which is not,” he says. “People shouldn’t stop using condoms or take contraceptives because of the waste look – it’s more important to protect yourself and your partner.”

In that regard, Dr. Akinsemolu agrees. “Safe sex, whether with organic products or not, it is the most sustainable for people and the planet in the long term ”, he says.

The impact of reproduction on the planet

Having children: another point where sex and environment collide.

According to a 2017 study, living without a car saves about 2.3 tons of CO2 per year, while following a plant-based diet saves 0.8 tons. In comparison – if you live in the developed world – not having children saves about 58.6 tons per year.

The carbon footprint in less developed countries is much lower because a child in Malawi does not produce more than 0.1 tonnes annually.

Some influential figures have spoken of their reservations about having children. Prince Harry told Vogue in 2019 that he and the Duchess of Sussex would have “a maximum” of two children, citing the environment as a key factor in this decision.

Similarly, the American congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged at the C40 World Mayors Summit in 2019 that she was “a woman whose dreams of motherhood now have a bittersweet taste” from what is known “about the future of our children.”

Birth rates have decreased in many countries of the world. This decades-long trend cannot be attributed solely to climate change.

But a global survey by British scientists this year revealed that three-quarters of the 10,000 young people respondents agreed that “the future was terrifying.” A 41% of those surveyed were “reluctant to have children” citing climate change as a reason.

I will not have children!

Professor Kimberly Nicholas, a professor at Lund University in Sweden, is a co-author of a study that claims that children in the developed world have a huge negative impact on carbon emissions.

However, he does not defend that people do not have children. “It is not my role to endorse or question people’s personal decisions,” he says.

“It is a human right to freely decide if you want to have a child. For what I work is for a world in which the children who are already alive have a safe planet and society ”.

Instead, Nicholas suggests that people spend more time “to reconsider your travel habits instead of dying with the wrappers and eliminating every last residue of contraception ”.

“We should focus our efforts on what makes a difference,” he says.

As someone who has spent a third of her life living without waste, Lauren is indecisive on the issue of children.

“I have thought about adopting, which I think is great, but the physical process of having a child is not clear to me,” she explains.

Like other decisions about sustainability, the entrepreneur wonders if having a child could be “clearly positive”.

“Will it be a benefit for the planet in general? Can I give value to this child who will live longer than me and will continue to try to create a better world?