7 out of 10 single women regularly have unprotected sex, new research suggests. This puts them at risk of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, experts warn. The study analyzed the attitudes towards sex of 2,000 women between the ages of 18 and 40 by conducting surveys. On average, a single woman has unprotected sex 11 times with a total of four different men, the researchers estimate. The survey also shows that 1/3 of women say they forget to use condoms. One in five say they trust their partner about sexual health. 18% of single girls say that often the reason they don’t use contraception is because of alcohol abuse, which is associated with inappropriate behavior. 8% of respondents stated that they simply do not like using condoms. 12% of participants believe that contraception is not always easily available when needed. Unsafe sex while on vacation, for example, is a major problem, experts say. The women then allow themselves to have sex with new partners without using condoms, says Dr Tony Steele of the research team. Sex without precautions with an unknown man is a sure way to increase the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection, adds the specialist. One in ten women in the survey said they tend to have unprotected sex when on holiday. The report also found that women between the ages of 30 and 40 were at higher risk of a sexually transmitted infection compared to those in the 18 to 29 age group. In addition, women between 30 and 40 years of age are twice as likely to have an unwanted pregnancy as those at a younger age. One in 5 women aged 30 to 40 have had unsafe sex in the past 3 months, compared to one in 7 women aged 18 to 29.