What regrets do you have? Wish you hadn’t eaten that ice cream for breakfast, or worn those shoes with that outfit? What about weightier regrets like wishing you hadn’t lied on that job application or run that red light? How about this one: are you regretting sexual activity, and if so, what can you do about it now?

A variety of factors can lead to this type of regret. Feeling as though you have violated your own moral code, experiencing unplanned and unpleasant consequences (such as an STI or pregnancy), or realizing the “relationship” wasn’t what you thought it was can all lead to you regretting sexual activity.

And regret isn’t the only emotional complication to becoming sexually active prematurely.

According to the Journal of Health Economics, “[Y]oung people who engage in unwed sex are likely to experience negative emotional consequences…[They] are likely to experience regret, guilt, lower self-respect, fear of commitment, and fears about pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.”

Slowed personal development and codependencies can also accompany premature sex. And when the relationship ends, depression and suicide can be the result.

Aside from all the emotional complications, physical consequences can lead to regretting sexual activity. An unplanned pregnancy can change the course of your life. And no one plans for an STI, which can be embarrassing, painful, permanent and even life-threatening.

Perhaps you’re thinking a condom will solve those potential problems. But according to Very Well Health, because condoms are not 100% effective, they can lower your risk for infections spread through bodily fluids (such as HIV, HPV, chlamydia and gonorrhea) but may not prevent them every time.

And for infections spread through skin-to-skin contact like syphilis, pubic lice, and some strains of HPV, condoms are completely ineffective.