This article contains spoilers for the past two episodes of "Insecure."

The third season of HBO’s "Insecure" is underway—and problematic, say some sexual health experts. The popular Issa Rae-created series has a noticeable absence of condom use in the sex scenes, which first drew criticism during season one. And while some argue that all popular entertainment should show responsible sex, it is even more important on series about Black people.

In an episode that aired September 9, Issa and new guy Nathan, high on molly at Coachella, had spontaneous, unprotected sex in the carriage of a stalled Ferris Wheel.

A week later, on September 16, viewers got an update on what Lawrence has been up to since last season. In a word: sex. Sex on yachts, sex on sofas, sex with a montage of women. The recap of his sexcapades wraps with him learning he has contracted chlamydia and must call his partners—a Rolodex full of women he barely knows.  

Amusement ride sex and hot romps with hot strangers may be good TV—but more is going on. As reported by Rewire.News, “while no one expects the creators and writers of Insecure to turn the show into a public health campaign, the stakes for its target audience are especially high.”

Last season when fans and critics pointed out that there was a lack of condoms in sex scenes, showrunner Prentice Penny tweeted that the series is “not a PSA, documentary [or] nonprofit organization.” True. But, says Rewire.News:

rnt

Dr. Cabral Bigman-Galimore, an assistant professor in communication and health equity at the University of Illinois, told Rewire.News, “Portraying positive images around safe sex can change behavior if viewers identify with the characters and model their own behavior on what they see. People also talk about their favorite television shows and characters, so shows can help to spark conversations about topics like sex that might otherwise be considered too taboo or awkward.”

t

“Given the recent national trends, it is important for shows with and without majority Black audiences to engage with this topic in thoughtful and authentic ways that make sense for their characters and storylines,” Dr. Bigman-Galimore added.

Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are rising dramatically, with 2.3 million new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis diagnosed last year. The stats prompted Jonathan Mermin, director of Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention to say in a statement that as a society, America is "sliding backwards." 

For Black Americans, the news is even more dire. Per Rewire.News:

rnt

In 2016, the CDC noted that Black people accounted for 44 percent of HIV diagnoses, though they comprised only 12 percent of the U.S. population. The CDC also found in 2016 that “the rate of reported chlamydia cases among Black women was 5.1 times the rate among White women” and the “the rate of reported chlamydia cases among Black men was 6.6 times the rate among White men.” Black people were also diagnosed with gonorrhea and syphilis at dramatically higher rates than white people.

For a show about keeping it real as Black thirtysomethings, "Insecure" has a ways to go to live up to Issa Rae’s past promise to “do better" when it comes to condoms.