Doctor warns against popular ‘messy’ sex act that spikes your risk of nasty infections

Bad news for those who like to take intimate acts outside of the bedroom.

Experts have warned that doing the deed in the second most comfortable place in the house could result in a host of nasty infections.

London-based NHS GP Dr Hana Patel said that those who enjoy having sex on the sofa ought to be aware of the risks.

Sofas are home to a cocktail of bacteria not visible to the naked eye, she added, with sex raising the levels of illness-causing bugs that are embedded in the fabric. 

‘One example of potential harm is an increased risk of bacterial infections due to sofas often not being cleaned as thoroughly and easily as your bedding,’ Dr Patel said.

Limited research has shown soft furnishings are a breeding ground for bacteria and other harmful microorganisms.

They can survive longer on porous fabrics such as cotton, nylon, and polyester as well as some plastics. 

Perhaps the most common sex-related bacterial infection is one that affects the urinary tract, causing severe pain when going to the toilet.

A survey designed to discover what we get up to on our sofas, found 97 per cent of respondents admitted to having sex on their settees

The bacteria that cause urinary tract infections (UTIs) are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics designed to treat them, giving rise to ‘superbugs’ that turn deadly in vulnerable people.

Women are at greater risk of UTIs compared to men due to the shorter space between the urethra — the tube that takes urine out the body — and the back passage.

Meanwhile other experts have warned of other health risks. According to sex and relationships coach Gemma Nice, sofa sex can result in painful skin burns. 

‘Towels and blankets can also help keep your skin protected,’ she said. ‘Especially if your sofa is made from harsh material or leather.’

In order to manage the awkwardness of ‘mess’, she advised: ‘It’s best to have a splash blanket or some towels down to be on the safe side, or at least have some kitchen roll or tissue next to you. 

It comes as a survey designed to discover what we get up to on our sofas found 97 per cent of respondents admitted to having sex on their settees. 

However, the poll involving 500 Brits also found that 30 per cent said it wasn’t their  first choice of a spot for intimacy over hygiene concerns. 

Almost a third (32 per cent) said difficulty cleaning due to potential ‘mishaps’ also put them off. 

Nationally 55 per cent of Brits reported having sex at least one a week, this rising to 59 per cent of men and falling to 51 per cent of women

When analysing gender differences however, over a fifth of women said they were more likely to feel intimate and emotionally connected during sofa sex. 

This stood at 18 per cent among men. 

More than a quarter of Brits also admitted to preferring the sofa to any other location — even their beds. 

Sofa sex hit the headlines earlier in the summer after a false rumour that the now US Vice President-elect JD Vance once had sex with a couch set the internet alight. 

Memes began circulating on social media mocking the Ohio senator, 40, after it was wrongly claimed that he wrote about having sex with a sofa in his best-selling book Hillbilly Elegy.  

The survey also comes amid concerns over a global sex crisis — or rather, lack of. 

Research last year revealed more than a quarter (27 per cent) of Britons are now having less sex than they used to.

One in six (15 per cent) also admitted that they haven’t got frisky the entire year.

According to a Royal College of Occupational Therapists poll of 2,000  adults earlier this year, men and women typically romp 46 times a year — once every eight days. 

Research, recently highlighted by MailOnline also found nationally, just 55 per cent of Brits reported having sex at least one a week — 59 per cent of men and 51 per cent of women. 

Londoners were far above the national average, with 67 per cent reporting enjoying an amorous encounter at least once a week.

Britain isn’t alone in suffering a sexodus. 

In America surveys have shown the number of Californians between the age of 18 and 30 without a sexual partner in the past year has reached a decade high of 38 per cent.

Dr Patel also flagged the importance of a sexual relationship for our health.

‘Physical contact in a healthy and happy relationship can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety,’ she said. 

‘It can also reduce your blood pressure and in turn, improve your sense of wellbeing.’