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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to expect proper condom disposal and not being left inside me?

413 replies

Slv199 · 08/06/2026 10:35

I was with my exH for over 20 years and I’ve not had many sexual partners. I’m not sure about “condom etiquette” and it’s something not talked about.

My exH would always take the condom off and throw it in the bathroom bin. This is what I expect.

I’ve found my new partner just leaves it in the bed, which is gross and I worry my kids might find them. On other occasions I’ve found them inside me the next time I’ve gone to the loo. Which obviously leaves me worried I might get pregnant.

As I don’t have much experience I wondered what others think. AIBU to expect him to put the condom in the bin? Or at least tell me where he left it and definitely not leave it inside me!

OP posts:
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Annwen · 07/07/2026 07:49

The way this guy behaves is not only disrespectful but downright dangerous - for pregnancy and STIs. I ALWAYS make sure the guy holds the condom at the base of his penis as he pulls out or I do it for him! If the guy objects or doesn't deal with the condom properly I don't go with him again - end of story.

Greenfingered1 · 09/06/2026 17:29

LoremIpsumCici · 09/06/2026 16:21

How does that even happen that a condom is left inside you without you feeling it?

you are obviously in the right
he should be disposing of it properly
I wonder how he’d react to a used tampon under his pillow

You wouldn't necessarily feel the condom inside you, especially if it's high enough in there. It's happened to me but the guy had the decency to tell me and to help me retrieve it. I couldn't feel it though.

LoremIpsumCici · 09/06/2026 16:21

How does that even happen that a condom is left inside you without you feeling it?

you are obviously in the right
he should be disposing of it properly
I wonder how he’d react to a used tampon under his pillow

omghereistrouble · 09/06/2026 16:19

I might be a bit thick but I always thought condoms inside you were an accident like they have slipped off? what does he do? hold hisself and slide out part way then push condom off? how come you do not feel him fiddling around?
assume leaving them in the bed is equivalent to being in the wet patch?
men are gross

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 09/06/2026 15:04

OldScribbler · 09/06/2026 14:56

It is TOTALLY different to having sex without a condom. Once exposed to air the contents are dead,

Well then, it ok right?

OldScribbler · 09/06/2026 14:56

It is TOTALLY different to having sex without a condom. Once exposed to air the contents are dead,

MrsShawnHatosy · 09/06/2026 10:29

What in God’s name do you see in this disgusting piece of shit? Dump him please.

Greenfingered1 · 09/06/2026 10:24

Slv199 · 08/06/2026 10:35

I was with my exH for over 20 years and I’ve not had many sexual partners. I’m not sure about “condom etiquette” and it’s something not talked about.

My exH would always take the condom off and throw it in the bathroom bin. This is what I expect.

I’ve found my new partner just leaves it in the bed, which is gross and I worry my kids might find them. On other occasions I’ve found them inside me the next time I’ve gone to the loo. Which obviously leaves me worried I might get pregnant.

As I don’t have much experience I wondered what others think. AIBU to expect him to put the condom in the bin? Or at least tell me where he left it and definitely not leave it inside me!

OP hope you're okay. You clearly have a very low opinion of yourself which is sad. This man isn't helping you with that, he doesn't sound very respectful of you at all. The best thing you could do is dump him. There are some lovely, respectful, kind men amongst the grubby ones on these dating sites, please don't settle for this man.If he's doing this now. so early on, he's only going to get worse.

ruethewhirl · 09/06/2026 09:58

BudgetBuster · 09/06/2026 02:03

Name calling?

I think we need to agree to disagree because if someone is as naive as the OP at her age and with teen / preteen children then I 100% stand by my concerns that she shouldn't be having sex if she cannot do so safely.

Oh, the disingenuity. I'm not wasting any more keystrokes on you.

Holidaymodeon · 09/06/2026 09:46

Slv199 · 09/06/2026 00:54

If you read on I apologised to the UTI poster and thanked them for their advice.

I hope no-one judges you on comments you’ve made after you’ve just found out something deeply traumatic has happened to you.

Babe you don’t need to keep responding and defending yourself, I made this mistake recently following a (completely different) traumatic situation and some of the responses here were so upsetting I was having nightmares about the situation afterwards and made a distress call to my gp.
none of what you’ve done is wrong or strange, I met a lot of pigs dating again when I got divorced, plus heard a hell of a lot of horrible stories.
some men are just pigs and sly and deceitful and will do whatever it takes to get what they want.
we don’t always recognise every single red flag unless we’ve experienced it or been told to watch out for it etc, the levels of deception around sex, money, getting their feet under the table etc are shocking, i always think I’ve seen / heard it all and then something new comes up.
one of us do accept less because of loneliness or multiple other reasons, hopefully if we are lucky we learn from this, and gird our loins and armour up appropriately and are more careful next time.
youve gone into so much detail and intimate detail here, you dont need to , these people are also being abusive by ripping into you this way, victim blaming is incredibly harmful and can often make people more vulnerable, not less. You’ve done everything right and no doubt learned a lot from this situation and from some of the advice on here , take care of yourself and don’t take any blame, you were inexperienced in this area, I’m not sure many women make a point of watching the condom removal and disposal thereof, I’m sure most would assume that an adult man would be able to deal with it without supervision.
if they feel a need to observe for safety then that man is unlikely to be a trustworthy person in the first place

Cindysparkles · 09/06/2026 06:43

Slv199 · 08/06/2026 18:35

I’m an idiot. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and assumed it was an accident.

I know I’ll get flamed for this but it’s a new relationship I didn’t want to scare him off. I’d no idea if most men just leave the condom where they end up or if they always carefully dispose of them. That’s why I asked on here. Responses like yours make me wish I hadn’t.

I get that OP. There are some very bossy boots people on here that come across like the smug marrieds in Bridget Jones.

But with the wisdom of the ages and huge amounts of therapy I do agree with their conclusions if not the patronising and hectoring way they’re expressing themselves. It’s hideous to be lonely and it’s normal to want sex when you’re a youngish person (and frankly an older person too!).

However it will make you feel lonelier and worse in the long run to go out with deadbeats. And I don’t think there’s a correlation between having a conversation about your expectations about behaviours with decent men and them dumping you. Pieces of shit might but then that’s no loss.

If I was dating now and I’m not ruling it out longer term (just coming out of a shitty marriage myself) I wouldn’t bother with someone who couldn’t have an adult conversation about important things like this. Because if they’re a child in an adult’s body they’re no use to me.

PolkaDotPorridge · 09/06/2026 06:37

Zanatdy · 09/06/2026 04:02

I’d hope you are changing the sheets after you’ve had sex in your bed knowing your teenage children sleep in the bed too sometimes. So surely you’d find the condom then.

Glad someone raised about urinating after sex, I always make sure I do that now, and want to clear myself up a bit. Glad you’ve decided to dump him, pretty gross of him not even caring what happens to the condom.

This! Surely you change the bedding.

Tamtim · 09/06/2026 06:30

I’m sorry this happened to you. You’ve done nothing wrong at all. He is gross. Imagine waking up in the morning, removing your sanitary towel and leaving it in the bed. That’s what he has essentially done. Looking back, does he have other unfavourable habits?

Zanatdy · 09/06/2026 04:02

Slv199 · 08/06/2026 19:33

12 and 15. The 12 year old sleeps in my bed sometimes, she is suffering from anxiety made worse by the break up and it stops her sleeping when she’s on her own. 15 year old uses the shower in my ensuite so might notice as he wanders through.

I’d hope you are changing the sheets after you’ve had sex in your bed knowing your teenage children sleep in the bed too sometimes. So surely you’d find the condom then.

Glad someone raised about urinating after sex, I always make sure I do that now, and want to clear myself up a bit. Glad you’ve decided to dump him, pretty gross of him not even caring what happens to the condom.

user1492757084 · 09/06/2026 02:14

Your communication is not solid enough to be having sex with this person.
Or are you under a drug or asleep?

Concern for your own health should mean that, if you notice he is not disposing of the condom, you remove it, tie it and bin it. Speak up about what you expect.

LadyWhistledownsSocietyPapers · 09/06/2026 02:06

Slv199 · 09/06/2026 00:54

If you read on I apologised to the UTI poster and thanked them for their advice.

I hope no-one judges you on comments you’ve made after you’ve just found out something deeply traumatic has happened to you.

I don't recall making any, but if I did I would have apologised as you have done. I just couldn't read more as it felt like you were being sarcastic to everyone. I'm glad you apologised to that poster.

ETA - the guy was completely out of order and no one leaves used condoms lying around.

BudgetBuster · 09/06/2026 02:03

ruethewhirl · 08/06/2026 22:58

I don't. It's the name-calling I think is objectionable, as I think you are perfectly well aware. Calling someone naive, asking if they're 15, telling them to grow up and criticising their parenting isn't 'commenting about safe sex'.

Name calling?

I think we need to agree to disagree because if someone is as naive as the OP at her age and with teen / preteen children then I 100% stand by my concerns that she shouldn't be having sex if she cannot do so safely.

Hidefromthecow · 09/06/2026 01:26

Uoal · 08/06/2026 10:45

Leaving it inside is delibrate, otherwise there would be a convo of "I think its slipped off" dump him and go get a full screening

Absolutely

lornad00m · 09/06/2026 01:20

Until now I'd never thought about condom etiquette. I guess I just expected that it didn't need to be spelled out to a bloke. Men never fail to disappoint.

Slv199 · 09/06/2026 00:54

LadyWhistledownsSocietyPapers · 09/06/2026 00:43

What a rude comment to a kind poster who was actually helping you by giving you facts. It's not their fault you don't understand sexual health.

I have been reading your replies only but stopped at this one. Even before then your attitude has shone through.

If you read on I apologised to the UTI poster and thanked them for their advice.

I hope no-one judges you on comments you’ve made after you’ve just found out something deeply traumatic has happened to you.

OP posts:
LadyWhistledownsSocietyPapers · 09/06/2026 00:43

Slv199 · 08/06/2026 18:41

You’re clearly having sex very differently to me. I’ve always had the man’s penis in my vagina not my urinary tract so I don’t see how peeing will clear bacteria. I can’t pee on demand only when I need to go. I’ve never had a UTI from sex. Are you confusing UTIs with STIs?

What a rude comment to a kind poster who was actually helping you by giving you facts. It's not their fault you don't understand sexual health.

I have been reading your replies only but stopped at this one. Even before then your attitude has shone through.

chaosmaker · 09/06/2026 00:03

Slv199 · 08/06/2026 18:41

You’re clearly having sex very differently to me. I’ve always had the man’s penis in my vagina not my urinary tract so I don’t see how peeing will clear bacteria. I can’t pee on demand only when I need to go. I’ve never had a UTI from sex. Are you confusing UTIs with STIs?

Nope that's true!
Also I never trust men and condoms. Will always put them on and check that they are still on, during sex and that they are still on during withdrawal. Important stuff

Roaroutthetree · 08/06/2026 23:58

Ew, that’s the term ‘cum dumpster’ made real. I’d suggest you don’t have sex again until you educate yourself on what’s normal!

cantthinkofagoodusername2026 · 08/06/2026 23:43

Please OP, I am begging you, to not tell yourself this is your fault in any way, and to believe in yourself. You’ve had a really hard time. I’ve been married for almost 30 years and don’t even want to imagine what it’s like on the dating scene these days. You’ve had a really bad experience but hopefully it’s a near miss and you can move onwards and upwards. I have all my fingers and toes crossed for you.

sumayyah · 08/06/2026 23:26

Slv199 · 08/06/2026 10:35

I was with my exH for over 20 years and I’ve not had many sexual partners. I’m not sure about “condom etiquette” and it’s something not talked about.

My exH would always take the condom off and throw it in the bathroom bin. This is what I expect.

I’ve found my new partner just leaves it in the bed, which is gross and I worry my kids might find them. On other occasions I’ve found them inside me the next time I’ve gone to the loo. Which obviously leaves me worried I might get pregnant.

As I don’t have much experience I wondered what others think. AIBU to expect him to put the condom in the bin? Or at least tell me where he left it and definitely not leave it inside me!

I beg your finest pardon!
He leaves it inside you and rolls over to sleep without a word?
That's unhinged behaviour
I've had a condom come off during sex and end up in me and the first thing that happened when he realised it was missing is he tried (and thankfully succeeded) to fish it straight back out

Throw him right on back. Not binning it and leaving it to dry into your sheets was bad enough but to just not care where the hell its gone........ dude needs to stay single