Adultery

===Sexually transmitted infections===
{{Further|Sexually transmitted disease}}
Like any sexual contact, extramarital sex opens the possibility of the introduction of sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs) into a marriage. Since most married couples do not routinely use [[Birth control#Barrier|barrier contraceptive]]s,{{citation needed|date=August 2022}} STDs can be introduced to a marriage partner by a spouse engaging in unprotected extramarital sex. This can be a [[public health]] issue in regions of the world where STDs are common, but addressing this issue is very difficult due to legal and social barriers{{snd}}to openly talk about this situation would mean to acknowledge that adultery (often) takes place, something that is taboo in certain cultures, especially those strongly influenced by religion. In addition, dealing with the issue of barrier contraception in marriage in cultures where women have very few rights is difficult: the power of women to negotiate safer sex (or sex in general) with their husbands is often limited.<ref>{{Cite thesis |last=Mkandawire |first=Elizabeth |title=Socialisation of Malawian women and the negotiation of safe sex |date=2012 |type=Master's thesis |publisher=University of Pretoria |url=https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/30079 |hdl=2263/30079 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aids2031.org/pdfs/safe%20and%20consensual%20sex%20are%20women%20empowered%20enough%20to%20negotiate.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227101002/http://www.aids2031.org/pdfs/safe%20and%20consensual%20sex%20are%20women%20empowered%20enough%20to%20negotiate.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|title=Gender power imbalance on women's capacity to negotiate self-protection against HIV/AIDS in Botswana and South Africa | pmc=1831928 | pmid=16245988 | volume=5 | issue=3 | year=2005 | journal=Afr Health Sci | pages=188–97 | last1 = Langen | first1 = TT }}</ref> The [[World Health Organization]] (WHO) found that women in violent relations were at increased risk of [[HIV/AIDS]], because they found it very difficult to negotiate safe sex with their partners, or to seek medical advice if they thought they have been infected.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.who.int/hac/techguidance/pht/InfoBulletinIntimatePartnerViolenceFinal.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=21 February 2014 |archive-date=25 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025220637/http://www.who.int/hac/techguidance/pht/InfoBulletinIntimatePartnerViolenceFinal.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>