Hypothetical: Would relationships change, or stay the same if there were no STDs?

I don’t really think casual sex rates would go up, but I do think the condom industry would suffer a big hit.

Chastity belts would once again monopolise the market.

I think a few people would open their minds to casual sex, but I think the puritanical roots of our society need time to work themselves out. Most people who avoid casual sex seem to have reasons other than STIs.

In my opinion I think it will remain the same. Ancient people didn’t know anything about STDs but they still committing free sex till these day,causing over population on this world.

I think that then everyone would be banging everyone! Because they aren’t scared of the disease.

Judging from the way the advent of AIDs changed the social scene, I’d say it would make a difference. Just not as drastic a difference as some people might think, because fear of disease is not the only reason for being a faithful lover.

I agree with @Thesexier. With no disease people would have no fear..and in having no fear, who the hell would worry about who they screw or not? It would be like it is now, but just times it by a trillion. :/

AIDs came along in the eighties, guys. Before that there wasn’t much worry because STDs weren’t all that common. Some of us remember life before that, and some of us even remember life before “sexual liberation” changed the picture in a big way in the sixties. Everyone did not screw everyone else all the time. Personal feelings (such as love, loyalty, and moral convictions) are a bigger factor than fear of disease for an awful lot of people.

I don’t think there would be much change at all.

I think religious and other societal norms are in part driven by the desire to “be clean” and not have STDs. (Rampant in WWI and WWII at least.) I’d like to think that kind of thing is one of the actual valid reasons for religion – and for monogamy for that matter.

I think it would be as big as The Pill, relative to expanding and liberating sex within Western culture (but not more).

At the very least it would put the casual back into casual sex.

@Jeruba Interesting, thanks for your personal experience.

?? AIDs and societal norms aren’t a matter of my personal experience. But okay.

@Jeruba Lol! No, I meant your experience seeing a part of society before the 80s. I was not alive then so I could not know what was going on.

I think some people would be more careless of who they slept with.

I’d be more carefree about who I slept with. Not totally carefree, because there are still emotional considerations and the like, but I’d probably be much more open to sleeping with someone earlier in a relationship.

I don’t think relationships would change but I believe casual sex would. Relationship people are mostly about relationships and not in them mainly for “safe sex”.